Last year in AW Chat, I joked with my Richard Armitage Fangirl friends that if we did do a road trip to the NYC premiere of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”, that I would be too shy to push my way in front of the street crowd for a glimpse of Richard Armitage in front of the Ziegfeld Theatre [(1) left] on its Red Carpet. I’m 5ft 3 so I would have needed a periscope to see over everyone else’s heads–even to see the very tall Mr. Armitage. But at least I could have bonded in person with my RA friends.
What a difference a year makes. C’est la vie. The practicalities of life–travel costs, arthritis, work responsibilities, pet tending, etc.–made my going to NYC not even remotely possible. And as it turns out, I am still battling with bout of bronchitis. So I couldn’t have gone anyway–silver lining that.
But, I had hoped to watch The Hobbit NYC Premiere Red Carpet at the Ziegfeld Theatre online live like we did for Wellington and Tokyo premieres–we all did. But, it was not to be. Though the Dec. 6th Hobbit Premiere in NYC was slated as a fundraiser for AFI (American Film Institute), someone must have forgotten to tell them that the broadcast rights for the Red Carpet would be a gold mine for their fundraiser. Hopefully, we’ll hear more about the NYC premiere in the coming days.
At least, my RA fangirl friends and I bonded last night Twittering and Facebooking each 
other as snippets about the Premiere was shared by those who were in the crows at the premiere. Snap! Some RA lady fans–RAFrenzy, Franny, Kathleen, Janine, etc.–attended at the NYC premiere Red Carpet and tweeted updates. And they even captured video footage of Richard Armitage arriving and shared it [(2)]. Thanks! They saved the day!
And Richard Armitage looked very dapper in his Glen Urquhart gray plaid suit [(3)] –another vested suit [(4) right]. Perfection! We are going to start calling him banker Armitage soon. But then again, from all of The Hobbit merchandising royalties that will hopefully be heading his way, he will need his own bank. Ha!
And finally, here is a great interview article link shared by RACentral titled
“Richard Armitage talks Thorin Oakenshield and The Hobbit” [(5) excerpted below] By Anne Brodie Dec 6, 2012
When asked about becoming Thorin, Richard Armitage replied:
“… The prospect of sitting in a theatre and watching another actor play Thorin [(6) left] when I’d been offered the role … Sometimes that happens. You have to walk away and you can’t make it work with dates. But I couldn’t have lived with myself if someone else had played it. I would rather have given up my career.
If The Hobbit was the last piece of work I ever do, I would be happy. I still feel that if I never work again I have had the most fulfilling experience an actor could ever have with this role. I’ve never been challenged in the way this role challenged me.
Every job I’ve ever done has led to this moment. …”
Well said, Mr. Armitage [(7) right]. This is your moment–and you are shining! My warmest congratulations to you!
References
1) Ziegfeld Theatre image was found at http://distilleryimage1.instagram.com/4feac8863ff811e28d6622000a1fbc43_7.jpg
2) Video post f Richard Armitage arriving at the NYC Premiere of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” http://rafrenzy.com/2012/12/06/so-you-couldnt-make-it-to-the-hobbit-premiere/
3) Smithylass tweeted that “it’s a traditional weave that is used a lot here. Also called Glen Urquhart plaid.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen_plaid
4) Richard Armitage picture shared by Morrighan’s Muse on Twitter, pix by Gary Gershoff
https://twitter.com/MorrighansMuse/status/276882021886861313/photo/1
5) Thorin Oakenshield THAUJ poster was found at http://www.thehobbit.com/images/downloads/Posters/poster-thorin.jpg
6) “Richard Armiage talks Thorin Oakensheild and The Hobbit” by Anne Brodie (12/06/12), http://www.monstersandcritics.com/movies/features/article_1708072.php/Richard-Armitage-talks-Thorin-Oakenshield-and-The-Hobbit
7) Another great Gary Gershoff picture of Richard Armitage shared by Morrighan’s Muse on Twitter was found at https://twitter.com/MorrighansMuse/status/276883424818647042/photo/1
N.B. For readers of “Sir Guy’s Dilemma”, I am working on the next chapter–which will post on Friday, Dec. 14th.
Something About Love (A) 
Love the Glen plaid. But the jacket isn’t quite right. Button too high. Jacket needs to be a bit longer…(Who notices the suit, anyway – joyful grin – eyes!)
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Hi Fitzg,
Me too! Thought for the cut of the suit, I would have loved a double breasted jacket like RA’s Heinz Kruger character in Captain America wore. But eve so, Richard Armitage looked the picture of elegance.
Cheers! Grati ;->
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12/07/12–Daria GizTheGunslinger has some new portrait shots of Richard Armitage doing press for The Hobbit in NYC. Yummy!
http://gizthegunslinger.tumblr.com/post/37399990645/new-photoshoot-with-richard-armitage-watch-and
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12/07/12–Daria also tweeted the Russian site link for the photos. Thanks!
http://armitage-online.ucoz.ru/photo/166#
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And another Russian site link for the new leather jacket NYC press portraits http://armitage-online.ucoz.ru/photo/168
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12/07/12–Kathryn G tweeted this link for the 13 minutes special
http://www.cinetonic.com/yt/FKQtXCOwtvo
Here is the You Tube link–it has an ad before it:
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12/07/12–Fabulous Glamour UK January 2013 issue interview of Richard Armitage! RANet has the scans. Here is that link:
http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Richard/Promos/Glamour/album/index.html
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12/07/12–Sandra G just tweeted this link for a tumblr with gifs from the ipad edition of the Glamour article. RA walks!
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12/07/12–I love all of The Hobbit NYC premiere pictures of Richard Armitage on RANet!
http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Hobbit/NYPremiere-06Dec2012/album/index.html
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12/07/12–Be sure to visit Inge’s blog “Crispin’s Eclipse” each day. She is counting down until The Hobbit is released with interesting bits about Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield.
And here is today’s link with a video interview of Mr. Armitage about his character of Thorin–with RA sounding very deep and regal:
http://crispinseclipse.blogspot.com/2012/12/thirty-days-to-thorin-21-warrior-voice.html?spref=fb
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12/07/12–Don’t forget to visit RANet today for all the Premiere news and links at http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/news.html#dec07
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12/07/12–Thanks to Foro Richard Armitage for reweeting two links to El Anillo Unico articles about the 2nd Hobbit film “Desolation of Smaug”:
http://elanillounico.com/noticias/peliculas/el-hobbit/la-desolacion-de-smaug/primera-imagen-oficial-de-la-desolacion-de-smaug/
Primera imagen oficial de La Desolación de Smaug | El Anillo Único
elanillounico.com
El Hobbit: La Desolación de Smaug, primera
and
And the poster for The Hobbit (it’s fantastic!) released to Latin America:
http://elanillounico.com/noticias/peliculas/el-hobbit/un-viaje-inesperado/poster-final-de-el-hobbit-un-viaje-inesperado-para-latinoamerica/
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Here is the direct link for this stunningly beautiful poster:
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12/07/12–RA_Central has Dec. 14, 2012 Entertainment Weekly scans up on its website. Scroll through to see all 11 pages. Thanks RA_Central!
http://richardarmitagecentral.co.uk/main.php?g2_itemId=328434
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12/07/12–Thanks to Mirella for sharing the FB link for The Hobbit Movie’s own scrapbook of NYC premiere photos
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.456800714355539.96235.160617097307237&type=3
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12/07/12–MashaNeronova Tweet shared a vid of the NYC premiere on AOL
http://on.aol.com/video/the-hobbit-premieres-in-nyc-517577359
And here is the twitter pix of Richard Armitage that went with it https://twitter.com/MashaNeronova/status/277135562366918656/photo/1
Thanks!
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12/07/12–The Today Show Hobbit interview segment from this morning–with footage of last night’s premiere at the beginning–was actually filmed in Zealandia before the Wellington Premiere.
http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50116433#50116433
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12/07/12–Seb retweeted this Joy Meyers twitpic of RA: Stunning! I have fallen in love all over again!
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12/08/12–The Wire Images page has all five poses at
http://www.wireimage.com/search/#events?q=richard%20armitage/%5B157240870%5D&ep=1/60/1&s=3
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12/07/12–Tweeted by @TheHobbitMovie
For the Armitage Army… Our Thorin signing autographs at #TheHobbit press junket today!
I tweeted back: How do I obtain one of RA signed items?
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12/07/12–Bemused Richard Armitage at his new portrait shoot in NYC, pix tweeted by Joy Meyers
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12/07/12–Movie Bytes Interview of The Hobbit cast
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12/07/12–Link tweeted by RANet: “The Hobbit’s Richard Armitage – Dwarf Star”
the WSJ Interview vid (interviewer is Barbara Chai)
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12/07/12–Per RANet tweet, RA’s/Hobbit’s Canadian interview with George Stromboli (sp):
Strombo’s site says that Richard Armitage’s interview will air on Weds 12 Dec
http://www.cbc.ca/strombo/weekly-schedule/guests-week-of-december-10-2012.html?p=tv&s=tv_schedule
Guests Week Of December 10, 2012
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12/07/12–Isabelle W just tweeted this lovely contact sheet (in sharp focus) of the new Leather Portraits of RA
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12/07/12–Kathleen shared a link for a video interview of Richard Armitage by Scott Orlin of Cinema Magazine, Germany. The interview is in English.
http://www.cinema.de/kino/trailer/video/cinema-interview-richard-armitage-ueber-der-hobbit-eine-unerwartete-reise,5170654.html
Grati’s comment: One thing Richard Armitage said new here was that “I’ve always lived life at this height, well, obviously not when I was born…. But I spent most of my time looking down into conversations. And I coveted the idea, of doing that”. Then Mr. Armitage looked up. It was a wonderful moment in the interview where you got the sense that the journey that Richard Armitage went on in creating the role of Thorin Oakenshield was just as dramatic and perspective changing a transformation (his word) for him.
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12/07/12–TORN just posted TV Spot #11 on their site
It portrays the Bilbo and Gollum exchange much more ominously.
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2012/12/07/66820-hobbit-tv-spot-11-now-available/
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12/07/12–Morrighan’s Muse tweeted more info about RA’s NYC Premiere suit by Michael Bastien
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12/07/12–RANet treated us to the image of Richard Armitage posing with his miniature Thorin Lego piece on the last day of principle photography:
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12/08/12–Kathleen shared a link for a behind the scenes look of filming The Hobbit in beautiful New Zealand.
“EXCLUSIVE – The Magic Making of Middle-earth #airnzhobbit ” by Air New Zealand
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12/08/12Grati–Seattle Times article has quotes from Sir Peter Jackson and his actors about their experiences filming The Hobbit. Thanks to TORN for the link. Here is the Richard Armitage quote excerpted below:
“Richard Armitage (Thorin Oakenshield) on being a 6-foot-2 guy playing a dwarf: “It’s amazing how quickly you get used to it. And also, we spent most of the shoot much bigger than a 6-foot-2 guy. I mean, I had lifts in my shoes, I was wider, I was taller, and bigger-haired. And I actually think that was quite an interesting place to be, because I do think dwarfs have big ideas about themselves …” ”
http://seattletimes.com/html/entertainment/2019849800_apasnewzealandhobbit.html
-N.B.: The article didn’t have an image with it, so I chose this one to get a sense of heft and height that RA is talking about in his quote. The multi layering of their clothing–and the padding they wear underneath, makes them spread out to look broader to help with the optical illusion.
Here is the image link http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Hobbit/HobbitStills/album/63-Fili-Thorin-Kili-OfficialHobbitMovieGuide.jpg
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12/08/12–Tanni shared an FB link where you can vote for your favorite Hobbit Character. Here is that link:
http://www.facebook.com/prof.tolkien
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12/08/12–Miss K shared a link to a USA Today Video of 5 questions asked of Richard Armitage about The Hobbit film:
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/video/five-questions-for-the-hobbits-richard-armitage/2023417854001
And Richard Armitage had a great response when the 5th question by the interviewer inanely asked him how Tolkien’s Dwarves were different from Snow White’s dwarfs. Mr. Armitage responded that “Tolkien’s Dwarves are kickass!”
Right on Richard!
*Grati will now return to her prim self that doesn’t espouse the use of vulgarisms. Ha!*
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12/08/12–Thanks to Michaela Servetus for highlighting Fabo Laktuko’s trip to the NYC Hobbit premiere and gala afterward. Oh what a night!
http://whiterosewritings.blogspot.com/2012/12/meeting-richard-armitage-at-hobbit-new.html
“Meeting Richard Armitage at The Hobbit New York Premiere Gala December 6th!…”
Grati’s Comment: My heart stopped with her description of her farewell with Richard Armitage.
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12/08/12–Thanks to Servetus for the link for Judiang relating her experiences of attending the Anderson Cooper Live taping of The Hobbit Interviews (including Richard Armitage) at her blog:
http://www.jagrant.com/watcher/richard-armitage-a-star-is-born-anderson-live-edition/
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12/08/12–Zan was Judiang’s partner in crime. So here is Zan’s retelling of her experiences:
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12/09/12–Thanks to Kathleen for the link to “THE HOBBIT Interviews: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis and Richard Armitage …” by Jake Hamilton:
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12/09/12–Miss K shared a link to an MTVNews interview of The Hobbit cast answering the question, “Who had the best beard?”
http://mtvnmobile.vo.llnwd.net/kip0/_pxn=1+_pxI0=Ripod-h264+_pxL0=undefined+_pxM0=+_pxK=18639+_pxE=mp4/44620/mtvnorigin/gsp.originmusicstor/sites/mtv.com/news/2012/december/07/mix_hobbit_1280x720_3500_h32.mp4?newsvideo
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12/09/12–Link shared by Sue H.
[N.B.: This is part 2 of Richard Armitage’s interview with GreenDragon at TORN.]
“New interview with theonering.net
Best line:
[Editorial: I’ll allow a pause here for those readers who need to recover from that sudden thought of a dirty Richard Armitage in the dark… OK, going on…]
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2012/12/09/66882-richard-the-second-part-ii-of-theonering-nets-time-with-richard-armitage/?fb_source=pubv1
Richard the Second – Part II of TheOneRing.net’s time with Richard Armitage
http://www.theonering.net
Richard Armitage is a lucky boy; or so he says. I think those of us who had the chance to hear what he had to say at
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12/09/12–Petra shared:
“I found a german site with infos and fotos.
http://www.herr-der-ringe-film.de/v3/de/hobbit/galerie_1/darsteller_2/helden_1/thorin/thorin_1.php
DER HOBBIT » Galerie » Charaktere » Die Helden » Thorin – Seite 1″
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12/09/12–A tweeted link for the “In Praise of Wickedness” tumblr had a funny endearing moment about RA at the Anderson Live taping behind the scenes.
So next time any of us see RA in person, be sure to have some bottled water on hand. Ha!
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12/09/12–tweeted by Masha Neronova
Richard Armitage sighing autographs at his hotel
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12/09/12–RANet tweeted their link for Richard Armitage’s InnerSPACE interivew Dec 3rd, 2012 in Toronto
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12/09/12–Richard Armitage France tweeted their link for the NYC Premiere photos Lovely!
http://bilbolehobbit.skyrock.com/3130049320-Evenement-2012-Avant-premiere-Americaine-6-Decembre-2012-New-York.html
■ [ Evènement 2012 ] Avant-première Américaine6 Décembre 2012 – New York
bilbolehobbit.skyrock.com
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