12 Days: Laurie from Little Women

'Oh , you think I'm beautiful?'

Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence

Each Christmas, I attempt to profile an actor who had an iconic role in a holiday film.  Past Christmas Day entries have included; Jimmy Stewart, Zach Ward, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Zach Galligan.  One of my favorites was on child star Mark Lester who appeared in the Christmas/horror flick, Who Slew Auntie Roo.  I loved the film, and enjoyed reading about Lester's career. 

Douglass Montgomery (1933)

This year, I found it hard to find an actor to feature.  I decided then on a character.  Little Women isn't specifically a Christmas film, but due to it's Christmas and winter scenes, is often associated with the holiday.  One of the few male characters, and the only young male character of note is Theodore 'Laurie' Lawrence.  Laurie is kind character closely connected to the March family, especially close to both Jo, and eventually Amy. 

Peter Lawford (1949)

Over the years, Laurie has been played by hundreds, if not thousands of actors, on stage and on the screen.  Most notably, Laurie was played on film by Douglass Montgomery in 1933, Peter Lawford in 1949, Christian Bale in 1994 and Timothée Chalamet in 2019.  Other well known actors to have taken on the role include:  Joel Grey,(1958) Richard Gilliland, (1978) and High School Musicals Lucas Grabeel (2018)

Christian Bale (1994)

The only two Laurie's that I've actually seen are Montgomery and Bale's.  Despite my love of Chalamet. the 2019 version remains on my 'to watch' list.  I tend to be stubborn when it comes to watching re-makes, even though each of the versions I listed was a re-make itself.  The book by Louisa May Alcott was first published in 1869 with the first film version I believe being in 1917, with Milton Rosmer as Laurie, and again in 1918, this time with Conrad Nagel as Laurie.

Timothée Chalamet (2019)

'I shall never stop loving you; but the love is altered, and I have learned to see that it is better as it is.'

Laurie to Jo

 Jonah Hauer-King (2017)

When I was researching actors who played Laurie, there was a recent one that I'd not heard of before.  British actor Jonah Hauer-King played Laurie in an adaptation for British television.  The three part mini-series aired on the BBC in 2017.  I'm guessing most of you haven't heard of Hauer-King, but an upcoming role in a new film has me thinking he's going to be one to watch.  See more o the Hauer-King on the NEXT PAGE HERE:

I, Timothée

Although I didn't have time to put together my annual Golden Globe nominee post, I did get to watch most of last nights telecast. I loved Call Me By Your Name, but wasn't really thinking it's cast were going to home with the award. Both Armie Hammer, and especially Timothée Chalamet put in beautiful performances, but maybe too subtle for the Foreign Press. I did think the film might win, but it was a really great year for film, and a very competitive year for actors in great roles.

Chalamet always looks great and was dashing in his tux, but he was no more adorable than when noticing the former figure skater seated near him at the awards. At only 22, the young actor wasn't even born in 1994 during Harding scandal, but thanks to the brilliant I, Tonya, her name is again back in the headlines.

If you haven't seen 'Call Me By Your Name' yet, try to check it out if you get the chance. It's a gorgeously shot film with a story so many of us can relate to. There is often an obsessive element to first love, one that although you get over, you never truly completely shake or forget. The film so beautifully captures this time in a quiet, yet powerful way. Chalamet and Hammer hit the notes of their roles perfectly on pitch setting a compelling tone they maintained throughout.

Chest in Show:

Shawn Mendes looked hot, but I'm guessing when he walked the red carpet he was a wee bit jealous of all the attention Timothée Chalamet was getting.  I'm guessing when he was shopping for his Oscar look, he wishes he too had dropped by the Louis Vuitton womenswear section. 

I did watch the Oscars last night, well, most of them anyway. I DVR'd  them, and mostly skimmed through.  I thought the hosts, especially Amy Schumer were great, wish we had seen more of them.  I loved Troy Kotsur's acceptance speech and all the love CODA received.  

Although both Mendes and Chalamet looked great, my award for favorite tuxed hottie of the night was actor Jacob Elordi.

And...As for the night's jaw dropping moment, I team Rock all the way.  I'm was shocked how many people on social media were  justifying an assault.  

Rock guesting on French Prince (1997)

Campus Watch:

'Tt's a not a remake, it's more a recreation, another chapter to the story.'

I'm about half-way through the reimagining of Cruel Intentions on Prime, and thus far, it's addictively watchable.  As a big fan or source material, the 1999 film, I think the writers and producers did a great job of being faithful to the premise, without being an exact duplicate.  The basic story is virtually the same, but there have been enough changes to make it original.

With the casting of the original being so iconic, (Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar. Reece Witherspoon and Selma Blair) I'm sure the casting was a challenge.  For the most part, I think the producers did a great job, especially the casting of John Kim, (Blaise) and Sara Silva, (CeCe) but there are a few choices in key roles who aren't doing it for me.  Still, the story moves quickly, and the acting is decent, with the stronger actors saving most of the scenes they're in.

Another casting choice I definitely approve of is Zac Burgess as Lucien Belmont.   Lucien is the 'Sebastian' character, originally played by Phillippe.  It took a moment to get my head around the casting as Burgess has an entirely different vibe than Phillippe.  But, he's equally as hot as the campus slut, conspiring with his step-sister with a bet to bed her.

Burgess is incredibly flirty, with everyone, but although he's the perfect age to play the character, (Burgess is 22) still seems a little young for all the sexual manipulation he's involved in.  Not that a 22 year old can't be sexually manipulative, but Burgess looks like he could pass for 5 or 6 years younger.  The Australian actor is incredibly charming though, not to mention sexually adorable, he's like a television version of actor Timothée Chalamet.  I was going to say a younger version, but given Chalamet is only 28, that would really be 'too soon.'

Although Lucien has plenty of sex, the show has chosen to shoot most of his scenes of skin to ensure were teased, but don't actually see too much.  That being said, they still worked to get me going.  His butt scene in the pilot was purposely shot with him the background, out of focus, yet, when in the shower, even though we didn't see much, was still an incredibly hot scene.

Zac Burgess on Instagram

Lead Actor in a Motion Picture

Below are the nominee's for Lead Actor in a Drama, and in a Musical or Comedy.  If you click on their name above their image, you'll see previous posts with scenes of male skin that I've done on the actor on the site.

Brody 

Male Actor: Drama

Adrien Brody, The Brutalist 

Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown 

Daniel Craig, Queer 

Colman Domingo, Sing Sing 

Ralph Fiennes Conclave 

Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice 

Chalamet

Craig

Domingo

Fiennes

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Eisenberg

Male Actor: Musical or Comedy 

Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain 

Hugh Grant, Heretic 

Gabriel LaBelle, Saturday Night 

Jesse Plemons, Kinds of Kindness 

Glen Powell, Hit Man 

Sebastian Stan, A Different Man 

Grant

LaBelle

Plemons

Powell

Powell & John Stamos in Scream Queens

Stan

Stan in A Different Man

Cruising for a Bruising

A peach hasn't been this destroyed since Timothée Chalamet in Call Me by Your Name.🍑

Gus Kenworthy, Twitter

Actor In A Leading Role: 🎥

Nominees:

Adrien Brody: The Brutalist 

Timothée Chalamet: A Complete Unknown 

Colman Domingo: Sing Sing 

Ralph Fiennes: Conclave 

Sebastian Stan: The Apprentice

If you want to check out my previous posts on the nominees, just click their name above.  I decided this year, to focus on a nude scene from nominee Sebastian Stan that I don't think I featured before.  I've been lusting after Stan ever since first seeing him on screen in The Covenant. (HERE:)  

My crush turned to becoming a huge fan and respecting Stan's work after watching him in the one and only season of Political Animals.  I loved the Sigourney Weaver led drama, and Stan was great as her gay son.  As much as I love Stan, I could not bring myself to watch The Apprentice.  I'm sure he's great, but I have ZERO interest in seeing anything related to the hateful, racist asshole, currently occupying the White House.

The Bronze (2015)

For this piece, I chose Stan's gymnastic sex scene from the 2015 sports comedy The Bronze.   Actress and writer Melissa Raunch as admitted most of her parts in the scene were done by a body double who was a Cirque du Soleil dancer.  Although I'm sure Stan used a body double for some of this scene, (I'd love to know his body doubles name...) Raunch states Stan actually did much of what we saw on screen.

'We wrote it as ‘the most crazy epic gymnastic sex scene ever. It really was a porno script, essentially. But Sebastian was so fantastic and he went for so much of it. He could have just said, ‘Have my body double do it,’ and instead he came to set in his robe and said, ‘Okay, let’s do this.’

Melissa Raunch

'Every time I slammed into her, I was like, ‘Oh my God, are you okay?’ And she was like, ‘Just go for it!'

Sebastian Stan