At the European Film Market, an Industrial Debate on independent distributors and their role in film financing (and marketing) took place, so here is what was mentioned and discussed that might be of interest for us, especially in regards to Cherrybomb.

Nowadays, buyers are interesting in the appeal to the future audience, and how many people might consider watching the film. Currently, there are stories of vampires coming up everywhere, about ten years ago it was the time of family-fantasy films (Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Lemony Snicket, Golden Compass, Narnia, …). Stories about the cruel reality of teenage life are somewhat rare at the moment. Unless of course a bunch of people start campaigning and collecting signatures to prove that there is an interested audience…

Also, there are far less distributors for independent films than a few years ago. This entails that less films are being sold, and only the best films are being released in theaters.

Many films already have a distributor prior to the start of production. Since these distributors often take part in funding the film, they have a bigger interest in eventually releasing the film to regain their money, hence distribution is more likely for these films. Harry Potter, for example, is being funded AND (in most countries) distributed by Warner Bros.
On the other hand, those distributors like to have a say during the production, and stop the directors from taking films into territory that might not appeal to the audience they have in mind. The story of Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow and Disney’s initial reaction is well known.

This also means that directors and actors cannot always do what they want if they have a financing distributor. If they do, the films might be incredibly great, but not see the light of theatres if no distributor finds it marketable enough. These films have to rely on distributors believing in the film as it is – or in the future audience.
Cherrybomb did not have any distributors among the funding companies.

Additionally, foreign distributors prefer buying films that already have other distributors, in particular, US films. For one, the costs for promotion are incredibly high (especially in the US), and (since word goes around), can be less for European distributors if a film has already been released in the states, and second, they have a reference if a film might be successful. As an example: A few films of Jim Carrey’s were flops in the US and never made it across the Atlantic, because nobody wanted to buy them. In contrast to that, they even had problems finding international distributors for Dr. Parnassus before they were able to show the box office numbers from the UK (and with a cast of Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law, one would think it would be easy…).

So hopefully, with the UK release in the near future, some other distributors might gain confidence in Cherrybomb as well…

Also, the costs for promotion are immense. Posters, interviews, premieres, trailers, TV spots, online promotion,… all needs to be paid. Particularly promotion in the US is very expensive, as to buy up a film that has other distributors and, by the time it will be released,  has already had media coverage from other releases, is popular. Also, Twitter has become a very interesting tool to reach the audience and keep them up to date.

Nowadays, online marketing can take up up to 20% of marketing costs. So, you might have an idea of what we’ve been working on… And Cherrybomb does have a Twitter, and Facebook, AND Myspace…

The financial crisis has also left its mark on the film industry, in addition to other difficulties:
The US market is “in tatters” when it comes to independent film, and many European productions do not make it to the US because the art divisions of distributors are cut down due to financial issues.

The European market has been less affected, e.g. France and Germany (along with the UK, the biggest markets in film business after the US): In France, about 50% of all distributions are local (= French), and “only” 50% are imported. Germany has about 26-27% of local distributions. Those market have been able to be at least somewhat steady as well .

In comparison, Japan’s local productions are pretty close to non-existent, and almost all films are imported.
While the UK is much less patriotical than France or Germany, they are struggling less than the US. However, the UK has the difficulty of having the same language, and audiences are more interested in US films unless they have a typical British appeal (set in London, British accent, well-known British actors, British humor…)

Russian distributors are hesitant to buy independent films because they have a huge piracy problem, which of course, reduces the number of sold tickets.

Difficulties for deals in China include that there is a restricted number of international films that can be sold, and that particularly films with drug usage, violence and political themes are hard to sell.

So, what’s the outlook for Cherrybomb? UK: check. Germany: check. US: fingers crossed/looking good. China: possibly difficult due to the amount of drugs and swearing and violence. The others?
Let’s just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.

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*Karo was very lucky to have seen Wild Target at the EFM! For more info, check out her review on our Press Archives, get tons of info about Wild Target on the Filmography pages, and lots of spoiler-y goodies in the forums!

Aquarius-You desperately need an escape route from real life issues that have torn you away from “Rupertland”. Use your strength, intelligence, and desire to help to make things go smoother. Think, Ron in Deathly Hallows.

Pisces-Need some alone time? Find a quiet space to meditate in; and continuously chant, “Super Rupert, Super Grint,” out loud until it becomes your mantra. By the time you reach transcendence, you will have devised a way to achieve world peace with ice cream and tasteful ginger wigs.

Aries-A night out on the town is just what you need; however, someone may be trying to set you up on a hot date. And no, it’s not Rupert; unfortunately, it never is. But give the potential beau a fighting chance, preferably if you refrain from constantly fantasizing about Rupert’s legs in Wild Target.

Taurus-Smooth-talking your way into gainful employment is going to be quite easy for you in the near future, you should totally do it! Channel the character of Malachy McKinney before your interview to get yourself warmed up. Avoid the quiff and the heavy Irish accent though. Believe me, it won’t flatter you and your possible employer will think you’re focking mental.

Gemini-How can anyone study or get any work done with Cherrybomb and Wild Target so close to their release dates?! The universe is telling you to take a break-so fangirl to your heart’s content, you deserve it.

Cancer-You are full of energy and ideas lately. Make like Allen A. Allen and invent a machine that turns everyone in the world ginger. Sporting coke-bottle glasses, tightly permed hair, buck teeth, and an overly-starched schoolboy shorts suit optional.

Leo-You simply cannot understand why everyone on Earth doesn’t find Rupert Grint gorgeous and talented. To make yourself feel better, use your powers of verbal persuasion to convert one of your friends into a “Rupie Groupie”. Wear them down with an engaging, educational Powerpoint presentation of facts and visual proof that his royal gingerness will one day take over the world with award-winning indie movies.

Virgo-No, you don’t have the swine flu, it’s just the stress affecting your body. Relax, go watch NASCSAR and think of Rupert Grint in a racing suit. Or, go skiing and think of Rupert as Eddie The Eagle in a ski-jumping suit. Either way, the vision will be made of win and you’ll feel much better.

Libra-Someone much younger than you values your opinion and looks up to you. Make a day of watching Harry Potter films, being sure to point out the awesomeness that is Ron Weasley.

Scorpio-Spend some much needed time with your family. It will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, just like watching the Weasley clan at Christmas day. Only you won’t get an itchy jumper as a gift. Score!

Sagittarius-In the mood to spin a yarn or recite poetry aloud? Find a pal who is as nuts about Rupert Grint and Driving Lessons as you are; and hit an open mic night at a club. Dress up like Ben and Evie, and act out the “garden scene” in front of confused strangers. It’ll be great!

We will come back to why it all comes down to choice in some time. But before anything else, I would love to discuss his personality traits that appeals and influences me the most. Though I am absolutely certain that we cannot limit this wonderful character to just a few paragraphs, but for the sake of this short essay, I would summize his best character traits that inspire me the best as briefly as possible. Ron in majority people’s opinion is fiercely Loyal, Brave, Caring, extremely Funny, very Insecure, sometimes Lazy, but extremely Over-protective of the people he loves and cares about.

He is someone who you could rely on undoubtedly and would come through every time; who would sacrifice himself for his family, friends or the greater good  – whichever is needed at that time in a heartbeat and without second thought.  He has always been a generous boy who would share whatever little he had, even his family and home, with Harry who had such a bad life before Hogwarts. We all know how openly he let Harry into his life and all the joy and happiness that Ron provided to Harry in all troubled times. It is his light-hearted and free-spirited nature that kept Harry from drowning in moroseness and the enormity of his responsibilties. If not for Ron, Harry would never have been able to enjoy the small happy maybe some times annoying things that a normal teenager would have like love, laughter, jealousy, companionship etc.

But to me, Ron is all of the above, plus some things that are not regularly considered when it is in regards to him and his actions throughout the series. According to me, Ron Weasley is very Clever, Smart and Intelligent( because he thinks outside the box and think of the number of times that helped Harry throughout the series) in a way that both Harry and Hermione can never be. This is exactly why he is such an excellent player at chess. It was never openly discussed, but I am sure Ron would have become a brilliant Auror(somebody without whose help Harry would not have managed to revolutionize the Auror Department) and an indispensable part of his brother George’s Wheezes business because he has a natural ability to plan (maybe not obsessively like Hermione) and strategize, and these are very important qualities for someone fighting evil forces or runing a crazily successful business. It is proof enough that you don’t have to excel at Academics to do well in whatever you choose to do  professionally. This is one of the major reasons that Ron is such an influence in my life. I never was an intelligent girl when it came to education. In, fact I was always an average student.  Though I don’t consider myself smart and a natural strategist, I am still very planned and organized in the way I carry out my day to day activities(again not in a obsessive way), both personally and professionally.I learned from Ron that I don’t have to be a Genius, or get top marks to do well in whatever I chose to do. I have always looked outside the box to look for solutions for any problems I faced at any given time. And this is definitely the inspiration that I draw from Ron’s wonderful character.

Insecurity has been a major part of my childhood and adolescent life, much like Ron. Though I never have come from a large family like Ron’s, I still was lost in the various achievements of my elder brother and younger sister, and the numerous cousins I have. Nobody ever gave a glance, or had a kind word, to what I achieved when I was younger(sadly even my own parents). In fact, they still don’t, but now I simply don’t care. This is where I draw the most important inspiration from Ron. We all know how he always felt as an under-achiever and over-shadowed, when compared to all his siblings and friends. He always thought he had to live up to everybody’s expectations and prove his mettle. And whatever he did, although spectacularly well in some cases, he always felt was not great at something that he did entirely on his own (take the chess scene in Philosopher’s Stone – there never was a mention of it elsewhere other than when he won the house points. Even Harry, for whom Ron sacrificed himself on that knight never thought or mentioned that Ron was very good anywhere seeing that the book was in Harry’s perspective).

Yet, Ron had come such a long way from the tall, thin, and gangly kid that Harry had met on his first day into a new magical world. Ron had managed to conquer all his demons and insecurities  on his own. Ron had to make the transition from a fumbling, insecure teenager, to a fully confident, grown man; who could keep his emotions in check and do whatever was required of him, whenever and where ever without thinking of the consequences and the dangers involved. The Chamber of Secrets scene in Deathly Hallows is a prime example to how much Ron evolved as a person. He did not need Harry or Hermione’s directions to do the needy in such desperate times (and for not being a Parselmouth, I think he did extremely well and Hermione was definitely Awed at his coolness in achieving such an enormous success even in such pressurizing times). And this is also where Hermione finally realized that Ron is well worth every single thought and affection she had for him and it cemented her love and respect for him that only grew hereafter.

I definitely did not face such dire situations like Ron to make me overcome my insecurities, but I learned to accept that we cannot simply please everyone. I always strived to do my best in what I could, and let my achievements speak for me. But that did not stop me from caring for the people I love most or standing by them whenever needed; even though they thought less of me. This is where Ron’s Character helped me the most and I cannot be thankful or grateful enough for a fictional character to make me overcome all my shortcomings in someway. And that is why I will always always love and admire RON WEASLEY!

And finally, as I mentioned earlier – CHOICE! Ron always had a choice to do the right thing, even though it may end in disastrous consequences; or to simply take the easy way out of any situation by cowering away like a coward. Time and again, throughout the entire series, we read about Dumbledore warning his students about how important the choice between right and wrong are. Making the right choices may not give a smooth path to a better life, unlike making the wrong choices, but it is worth every pain endured to get the final successful result. Ron’s Choices throughout the series, are examples of how he chose to stay on the right side; not because he was to be glorified for it, but simply because it was the right thing to do. Every single time he CHOSE to be with Harry in all the dangerous adventures and missions, even though he was never asked of it and not caring for the end consequences. We have all read about some harsh and reckless decisions Harry takes(Department of Mysteries in OoTP) but never once does Ron questions Harry’s intentions. He is simply there for his best mate whenever and wherever.That is what a true friend does. Ron chose every single time to be there for Harry, fight alongside him, face all the dangers with him, getting injured and scarred, but never once complaining. It is this CHOICE that Ron made to be by Harry’s side no matter what (even estrangement from his brother Percy), that kept Harry sane in all those maddening times. Whoever thinks that Ron’s the lucky one to be befriended by the Great Harry Potter are ignorant fools, in my opinion. It is actually the other way around because Harry is truly the lucky one to have found a friend and confidant in Ron. Harry needed Ron very much to  keep him in balance, and to not forget that he was, after all, a normal teenager(even though marked with a terrible fate of destroying evil). Ron’s light-heartedness , sense of humor, and his inate ability to care for and comfort. These things are what kept Harry on his goal to destroy Voldemort without losing his mind or drooping into deep depressions(and we all know how moody Harry can get).

What more could Harry ask for in a friend? I have said this before and will say it again – “I would kill for a friend like Ron…”.

I also had a choice to take the easy way out. Drugs, partying ,etc. But Ron’s inspiration and his choice to always do the right thing made me realize that life is hard- Yes! People see you as nothing-Yes! But you still have a choice to prove that you are someone worthy, if not to others, then to yourself.  This is what kept me far far away from all the terrible things that could have happened to me. Who do I have to thank that for – Ron Weasley!  It might seem silly that I draw so much from a fictional character, but believe me when I say I do.  The above stated points are just a few IMPORTANT ones that shaped my life; and there are several more areas and thoughts processes that Ron influenced, or still influence, my life. Since I promised to not make this a big essay, I will have to limit myself to all of the above said. Ron Weasley is a Hero – simple, but sweet, in every way imaginable.

Before I conclude, I would like to just mention a little something as to how I view Ron.
Harry Potter is like the Sun. He is so bright, powerful and he did a lot to save the world from possible destruction. So it is really hard not to give him the importance, or to not notice him. Everyone probably looks up to him for light(direction) and tries to bask in his light(glory). But it is very hard to look at the Sun for a very long time. You eventually have to avert your eyes because the brightness becomes unbearable.

But Ron Weasley is like the Moon. It may not be as bright, but the moon has its own unique kind of beauty and power. You can stare at it for hours without the fear of getting your eyes damaged. In fac,t there may be no suffering at all when watching the moon, because a moonlit night gives a sense of comfort, calmness, warmth, serenity, and peace like no other.

But people forget the moon as soon as the Sun rises; and the moon is always eternally overshadowed, but it still does not fail us any day. It still always provides us with that warmth and peace and a sense of calmness in many troubled times.

For me, Ron is the Moon who balances and calms all the irritations and frustrations of everyday life!

“Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” was my discovery of Rupert Grint, so far only thought of Ron Weasley, the character, but did not see the actor behind … and I discovered just in the scene where Ron eat candy and roars like a lion … she looked very manly, strong, handsome… was 11 and felt an incredible desire to scream like crazy, in fact I cover your mouth with your hands, pruning not understand what was going, I was 11 and never before had I felt nervous watching a movie … that
feeling in my stomach bothered me. While in this film, Ron and Hermione are always arguing, I saw them differently, as two poles that attract, my brother always said “those who fight you love” and I immediately thought of them. That Christmas my older sister gave her the second book in the saga, of course I read the book as fast as I could, and discovered that Rupert Grint redhead very well characterized. I began to investigate what more could Rupert and Ron, at that time had not HP-Latin American pages and if there was I could not find them. With each passing film and they gave me the books I liked the pretty redhead, her way of being carefree, hungry, funny, “something” childish … and I grew them, I realized I had a platonic love for a character in the book and an actor, Ron loved him for his nature and because he believed that was what Hermione needed, something of amusement, laughter, pranks, being happy and although too always arguing and that was reconciled what I liked best, which is really wanted. And Rupert, what looked like a completely different person, he never smoke rose to the head, always so calm, being nice, laughing, that drove me crazy … when I saw videos of him in interviews, or the premier films, is my stomach, I wanted to cry, saying that was the best, being there to see it and somehow feel like the real thing … when you live in
a country like Chile where the stars usually do not come, you see almost as an individual gold with Rupert untouchable … something happens to me different from other celebrities, I feel that somehow … it feels like before, that you feel uncomfortable in interviews, he does not like it relate to people … sorry it still feels like an also-ran who had the opportunity-a wonderful opportunity “to act and to do what he likes.

Moreover, I see Ron as the groom that someday I want to find … I love Ron Weasley because I just knew love, gestures as nice as defending the people she wants, love a man who dares to defend and protect the person you love … LOVE Billius Ronald Weasley for who he is …

Such statements as these are easy to contradict, as it can be clear from any reasonable and sane mind, that Ron Weasley and Rupert Grint are the ones that keep everything together.

Ron Weasley is the glue that keeps The Trio’s friendship together. Yes, it is understandable to say that he doesn’t have as well-defined skills as Harry and Hermione do, but he is nonetheless important. His humour and strength of heart gives him the title of the best friend that Harry and Hermione need to stay sane. Without Ron, Hermione and Harry wouldn’t have nearly as much fun. Harry says himself that he likes having Hermione as his best friend, but there ‘were less laughs and more trips to the library’ (Gof). Not only does Ron keep the other two laughing, he also loyally keeps them in line, giving Harry support and standing up for Hermione and making sure she has some time for fun.

Ron has his heart in what he does. Everything he does he does it because he feels it, which makes him not only thoroughly entertaining, but also gives him a different and more open persona than Hermione and Harry. He’s easier to read, being unable to hide his true feelings, even if he doesn’t know what they mean (’you’re fraternizing with the enemy’- Gof)which makes him an easy character to understand.

In the movies, Ron is portrayed as the ‘comic relief’, which Rupert Grint acts brilliantly and with such strong verve that the Harry Potter films wouldn’t be nearly as good without him. However,  in J.K. Rowlings version he is a much more complicated character.

He has problems with being poor and being overshadowed by his siblings and his best friend, the famous Harry Potter. This makes readers sympathize with him, especially as they see what such deep potential as a hero he has.

Ron’s heroic moments are bigger and more important than he realises. He just sees himself as stupid Ronald Weasley, but there is so much more to him than that, and so much more that he is able to be and do.

He sacrifices himself to save Harry and Hermione in the quest towards the Philosophers Stone, he helps Gryffindor win the House Cup, he courageously enters the Forbidden Forest alongside Harry despite his fear of spiders, he helps Harry in the Chamber of Secrets and earns 200 points plus a Special Award For Services To The School Award. Though there is a period between the Prisoner of Azkaban, and the beginning of The Order of the Phoenix, where he emotionally goes through arguments with his best friends and doesn’t bare any major heoric moments of his own, it developes the complexity of him as a character; giving him more depth than just being the ’sidekick’. He has problems with insecurity besides Harry and learns that he’s been harboring Voldemort’s servent all that time. But through this, he is still loyal to his friends in the end, standing up against Sirius Black (‘if you kill him, you’ll have to kill us too’) and helping Harry with the preperations for the Second and Third Task. The next year, He loyally takes part in Dumbledores Army, manages to throw off the Inquistirial Squads hold and fights against the Death Eaters until he is put under that spell and almost strangled by the Brains. In the Half-Blood Prince, he again causes problems for himself with his impulsive feelings; and again comes close to death, but he outwits that by helping fight the Death Eaters in the battle, comforting Hermione at Dumbledore’s Funeral and remaining a loyal friend to Harry. Despite all this, it is not until the Deathly Hallows that he truly demonstrates his importance to the Trio and his true heroic moments. He’s not perfect in the book, but he is sincerely sorry for leaving Hermione and Harry, and otherwise helps that countless of times. He gives them important information on the Ministry of Magic which helps them in their plan, he saves Harry, obtains the sword and destroys the locket, he saves Hermione from the Malfoy Manor, he plays an important part in the Grigott’s scheme, he thinks of a way to destroy the Hufflepuff cup and enters the Chamber of Secrets for a second time to do so, he finally takes things further with his love interest Hermione, he saves Goyle from the fiend-fyre and he fights more Death Eaters, including Fenrir Grayback.

Ron has his own interesting and entertaining story in the novels, and without him, the Harry Potter books wouldn’t quite have the same touch. We need him for his imperfectness (which ironically makes him a perfect character) and his humur. And its the same with Rupert Grint. How could they have ever found a better actor to play the brilliance of Ron Weasley?

I have thoroughly studied Ron Weasley’s parts in the novels and Rupert Grint steals the screen for me. If there was no such thing as “the red-headed sidekick” I would never have liked the Harry Potter books and movies as much. Ron Weasley makes it the best story ever written. Without him it would be good, but not abnormally and entertainingly brilliant. He is the best character ever written into any story and deserves full acknowledgement and love; that is what he rightly deserves.

Tania(tleo02):  Honey. Smooth, sweet, natural, humble although it is not the most fancy food, it is one that is well liked and good for you.

Question 2). If you combined all of the characters Rupert’s ever played(Ron, Allen, Ben, Malachy, Tony, Peter Pan, Nigel Molesworth) into oneperson, describe what kind of a super hero you would get.

-Tania(tleo02): Let’s see- a superhero who comes from a humble background but wants to succeed. Kind of an unlikely superhero or even accidental hero. He never wanted to be a superhero but being good natured and willing to help, he becomes a superhero. Somewhat unconventional, he doesn’t wear any diguise- just recognise me by my ginger hair and I’m here to help!

Question 3). Finish this sentence: Rupert inspires me to-

Tania(tleo02):  To be a more humble person despite any success that comes my way.
Question 4). What is your favorite picture of Rupert and why

Tania(tleo02): From Cherrybomb, blood on his face with the stormy background. It makes Rupert look strong, dark, rebellious; but there is a softness to that picture that reminds you that although Rupert’s acting talent can supersede his own persona, he is a sweet and humble person.

Question 5). What is your favorite video interview of Rupert and why

Tania(tleo02):  Interview with Rove in 2009. He seems very relaxed and therefore was willing to talk more, maybe not as much as Dan but more than he usually does.

Question 6). If you had a chance to meet and speak with Rupert for only 15 seconds. What would you say to him?

Tania(tleo02): ‘You are a brilliant actor who has a long and rewarding future in acting. You need to believe in yourself like we believe in you!’

Question 7). Caption one, two or all of these:

'Michelle, do you want me to take off my shirt as well?!'

'Aarrgh. Shit. I'm holding a gun.'

'You know you want to, ladies.'

Question 8). This year, I hope that..

Tania(tleo02):’Rupert gets a girlfriend.’

Question 9). Take into account that Rupert is a Virgo, and combine that with your sign as well. Realistically, would you two get along? Why or why not.

Tania(tleo02): I’m a Scorpio and I have friends who are Virgos. We all get along well but I am somewhat more aggressive than Virgos. I found that Virgos are quite diplomatic and tend to be the calm under all circumstances and that has a calming effect on everyone else. So I’ll say that Rupert and I will get along.

Question 10). Where do you live? and if you had the chance to take Rupert on a tour of your city, where would you take him? Why do you think he would like any particular place or thing you were to show him?

Tania(tleo02): I live in Sydney, Australia. We are known for our beaches whether that be Bondi Beach or Manly Beach. I would take him to all. Any reason to see him without his shirt on really. But since he is like myself and gets sunburnt really easily, I would take him for a cruise on Sydney Harbour, it is absolutely spectacular. Just imagine, Rupert’s hair blowing in the wind, a smile across his face, blue sky and sun in the background. Perfect.

- Since Rupert is so creative and appreciates creativity, I would take him to Newtown. It is one of the oldest inner city suburbs of Sydney but has a great vibe. It is were many of the young and trendy lives. Newtown is very busy and everyone there is very friendly and unpretenious. The main street is filled with different restaurants that serve cuisine from so many cultures. There are many music shops that sell cds and vinyls as well as indie music. There are bars and pubs with live bands and small theatres that show local small productions plays, indie and arthouse films. I think Newtown will be right up Rupert’s alley.

However, it doesn’t really bother me when Rupert gets beat by some other random celebrity.  Why?  Because to me, Rupert is an actor, a fantastic one at that, so these polls don’t really prove anything regarding that.  They are simply lists of the latest “flavor of the month,” some of who might end up having decent acting careers. These polls also contain others who are only on the list because they are, well, hot but have very little acting capabilities otherwise; and will probably disappear soon or end up on celebrity game shows because they can’t get any real acting roles.  Is this the company we really want Rupert to be in?  I don’t.

The most important thing to me is that Rupert is considered by casting directors and producers to be a great actor, who has the ability to portray a large range of characters, because this is what is going to get him the roles he deserves to play.  Yes, there are actors out there who have excellent acting skills, get fantastic roles, and who still end up on the “hottest actor” lists (I’m talking to you, Johnny Depp).  It would be great if Rupert were part of this very small circle.  But in film reviews, Depp’s looks don’t get mentioned unless they are an intrinsic part of the role – the only thing that matters is how well he played the part.  If you’re great-looking, but a terrible actor, you’re not going to get very many roles aside from either really small ones, or those which are one-dimensional, or where very little acting is needed.  Sure, Keanu Reeves might be good-looking, but no one is looking to cast him in seriously dramatic roles where he has to show a range of emotions.  When he has, he’s been criticized as being wooden.  Clearly, looks aren’t the main criteria for getting roles – acting skills are.

Take a look at Jim Broadbent, Rupert’s co-star in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” and currently one of the best actors out there, who has played every kind of role, from comedy, to drama, to musicals.  Broadbent constantly gets work because of the high quality of his acting skills, but no one is hiring him because he’s hot.  They’re hiring him because they know he’ll nail any role he’s given, which, of course, he does.  I want casting directors and producers to have the same attitude toward Rupert; and, given the roles he’s been recently getting, he’s moving in that direction, which is really something to be happy about!

Don’t mistake me – actors who are both great at their jobs and are good-looking have the most acting opportunities out there, because the world is shallow and viewers like looking at beautiful people.  I believe Rupert falls into this category, even if there are a lot of people out there who don’t see the looks part yet (philistines!).  But for me, it’s far more important that Rupert continues to get parts that show his range, and keeps racking up the fantastic reviews he’s been getting throughout his career.  These factors are going to put him in the same group as the best actors around, not whether he wins a celebrity poll.  So, no, losing a “hottie” poll to Zac Efron doesn’t bother me at all!

In the late 1980s, Eddie had a dream, he wanted to go to the Olympics as a ski jumper. Unlike most of his competitors he had no formal training, no money, and no backing. All he simply had was a dream. This is the kind of story we as human beings thrive on because Eddie went out and accomplished what most of us only dare to dream. I’ve often said that I think Rupert can relate to Eddie in a lot of ways. He too had a dream. He wanted to be an actor and he wanted to be Ron Weasley. Like Eddie, Rupert took a shot, even willing to embarrass himself (a rap video dressed up as his drama teacher?!) to get the part. He got his chance, as did Eddie. The only difference? Eddie’s dream didn’t turn out as well as Rupert’s. We all know Rupert’s story – fame, popularity, a movie career. Eddie got shut out of the ‘92 Winter Olympics by the British Olympic Committee who was afraid he was making a mockery out of them.

Eddie was born as Michael Edwards in Cheltenham, England. Eddie was actually an excellent downhill skier and narrowly missed out on being on the Great Britain Olympic team in 1984! He decided to improve his chances to make it to the 1988 Olympic Games by moving to Lake Placid, New York, USA to train but his funds began depleting and Eddie found it easier to switch to ski jumping which would also make it easier to enter the Olympics. Eddie began his training under Chuck Berghorn.

Unfortunately, Eddie had some shortcomings when it came to this switch. His weight came in at 181lbs which is more than 20lbs over what one of his competitors weighed. Eddie was also short-sighted and it required him to wear glasses all of the time. Because of this, his glasses would fog up while skiing. And lastly his financial situation as previously mentioned. Eddie was self-funded. Interestingly, to this day America and Canada teams still have trouble getting financial support, some 20 years later!

Later, Eddie ended up training in Finland after he was finally picked for the Olympics. As noted, Eddie suffered with financial woes and his trainer in Finland invited him to stay at the mental hospital where he worked. He also slept in car parks, corridors, and cowsheds. Eddie even admits to eating scraps of food he scavenged from the trash!

Because of no sponsorship, Eddie claims to have been 7,000 pounds in debt and was a one-man show: Coach, doctor, driver and baggage man. But he admits that because of becoming “Eddie the Eagle” he was able to pay off the debt in one day!

Eddie ended up looking like an “idiot” for so many reasons. Many of which I’ve already mentioned (like the fogging up glasses); but when he first came to Canada, for the whole world to see at the airport, his bag ripped open and all his belongings flew everywhere. To make matters worse, he ended up walking right into a glass wall!

But finally, he got to make his debut at the Olympics. Sadly, it didn’t end as well as he hoped of course. He came in last in the jump, but he did hold the record for British Ski jumping at the time. He was also the world number nine in amateur speed skiing (106.8mph) and the stunt jumping world record holder (10 cars/6 buses).  From there, the British Ski Federation and the  International Olympic Committee made sure that Eddie would never be able to compete again because, as I said, believing that he was making a mockery of the olympics and the ski jumping sport. The rule, which requires Olympic hopefuls to compete in international events and place in the top 30 percent or the top 50 competitors, whichever is the lesser, was dubbed the “Eddie the Eagle” rule. Eddie tried but failed to get into the 1992, 1994, and 1998 Olympics (despite having a five year 5 year sponsorship with Eagle Airlines, which was a small business charter company).

It’s obvious that Eddie is so much more than what some people might think. All the struggles he endured, all the heart he mustered, and yes he came in last, but he was no ‘lovable loser’ but a guy with a dream that didn’t turn into Olympic Gold but did turn into a fascinating story. I am eager to see Rupert playing this. The drama of sleeping in cowsheds and eating out of trash cans. Training hard and having so many shortcomings. And yes the comedy of your bag ripping and your glasses fogging up. And the eventual disappointment of not making it anywhere but last. And of course, the fact that he’ll be the star of the movie. He won’t be starring along side, but the star of it all!