All posts tagged: Toby

Toby Stephens: What my mum Maggie Smith taught me about acting

Toby Stephens: What my mum Maggie Smith taught me about acting

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter In the early Noughties, Toby Stephens was a leading man with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Then came his breakthrough screen role: a North Korean general transmogrified into a swashbuckling insomniac English billionaire with a union jack parachute. Maybe not the most likely choice for today’s aspiring thespians – and as Stephens admits, it felt eccentric at the time. Imagine casting a Bond villain like that now. “You’d never get away with that, would you?” he says of Die Another Day’s race-swap conceit. The son of acting royalty Maggie Smith and Robert Stephens, he wasn’t even top of MGM’s list; that was Sean Penn. But eventually he landed the role of Gustav Graves, having initially been led into an oak-panelled room at EON’s Piccadilly offices and handed a page of dialogue. “Right,” he remembers asking. “Do you want me to do it …

Harry Lawtey, Toby Jones in Richard Burton Biopic

Harry Lawtey, Toby Jones in Richard Burton Biopic

Published by Daniella Wilson

Seven-time Oscar nominee Richard Burton continues to have an intriguing afterlife, four decades following his death. At this year’s BAFTA awards, a movie about his early life, Mr. Burton, earned a nomination for best British Film. Mr. Burton, directed by Marc Evans, was also one of the audience favorite films at January’s Palm Springs International Film Festival. It opens in theaters this week and, aided by a strong cast, should appeal even to audiences who have fuzzy recollections of the once notorious actor. The film begins with a quotation from Elizabeth Taylor (who married Burton twice after a scandalous, heavily publicized affair that began during the shooting of Cleopatra in 1962). In it, Taylor states that Richard never would have found fame and fortune without the efforts of his adoptive father, Philip Burton (superbly played by Toby Jones in the film). Richard (Harry Lawtey of Industry) was actually born Richard Jenkins, the son of a Welsh miner who abandoned the family after the death of Richard’s mother. Richard was then raised by his older sister …

Toby Carvery to close Lincoln branch – ‘genuinely gutted’ | UK | News

Toby Carvery to close Lincoln branch – ‘genuinely gutted’ | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

A restaurant chain has announced it will be closing its doors in Lincoln city centre. The Toby Carvery located on st Mark’s Square, one of the 158 branches of the restaurant chain, will close at the end of this month, it has announced.  In a message shared on social media, the restaurant said: “We regret to inform you that we will be permanently closing at 12:00pm on Saturday, 28th February.” The message continued: “We kindly ask for your understanding during this time. Our team are working hard to maintain the level of service you expect under the current circumstances.  “A special thank you to our team for all their hard work throughout the years and especially at this current time.  “We couldn’t have achieved all we have without your dedication.” The news about its closure left several locals heartbroken as they flocked to the comment section.  One of the social media users wrote: “This is so sad to read! I hope that you all land on your feet! TC will always hold some special memories.” …

Toby Carvery restaurant facing chop over felling of 500-year-old oak tree | UK News

Toby Carvery restaurant facing chop over felling of 500-year-old oak tree | UK News

Published by Sam Flores

A Toby Carvery restaurant is facing eviction from its north London site over the partial felling of an oak tree which was believed to be up to 500 years old. The remains of the trunk, surrounded by its severed branches, were discovered by council workers last April in Whitewebbs Park, Enfield. Residents said they were “devastated” by the damage to the tree, while Enfield Council said it was “treating the matter as criminal damage”. The council has now said it has started eviction proceedings against the owners of the restaurant, Mitchells & Butlers, for “serious breaches of their lease”. It said Mitchells & Butlers had “failed to engage meaningfully with the council or to make reparations”. A spokesperson for Mitchells & Butlers told Sky News: “There will be no further comment due to ongoing legal proceedings.” Image: The oak tree before it was felled in Whitewebbs Park. Pic: Woodland Trust In a statement, Tim Leaver, deputy leader of Enfield Council, said: “The destruction of the ancient Whitewebbs Oak was a reckless act which caused huge …