“Our Guy” Friday: Richard Armitage’s Gaze, February 19, 2016 Gratiana Lovelace (Post #875)

There can be so much meaning conveyed in the way someone looks at you.  And the exquisitely talented British actor Richard Armitage has a gaze that mesmerizes me as he looks through the camera lens to me/us.

A gaze’s meaning  can be perceived as kindness, stoicism, lust, humor/whimsy, confusion, happiness, mistrust, frivolity, censure, love, etc.  Or, perhaps, even stoic fatigue?  (Richard Armitage right at a THAUJ juggernaut press event at Comic Con 2012, as shared by RA France from jassy2101 tumblr)

You name the emotional state and we can probably think of an example of such a Richard Armitage gaze—with the closer proximity of the face of the individual’s portrait seemingly creating a heightened perception of intimacy (vis a vis the smouldering Richard Armitage below possibly by David Venni in 2009;  BW crop edit by Alana as shared by Laura, Thanks!; Grati sepia and blue eyes edit, right):

And yet, I realize that though I sometimes like the reflective or contemplative poses by subjects of portrait photographers—when the person being photographed turns away from the camera with eyes averted, seemingly lost in thought (again Richard Armitage, photographed by Sarah Dunn, via lovely Ann Boudreau wallpaper edits below, link for below right):
  

I find that I seek the intensity and honesty of a focused gaze in Richard Armitage portraits.  And Richard Armitage gives me/us my gaze fix with great regularity (with a few of my faves below):

2004                             2007 
  

2010 (similar pix)         2012   
   

2013 (Laura edit)          2014 (from Cyn)
     

Richard Armitage loves the camera–and it loves him!  And the selfies that Richard Armitage shares (below) really bear that out—his gazes conveying to me (left to right): seriousness, comedic flair (a vegetarian’s worst nightmare, a meat beard), calm, freezing (icicles on his beard) with a hint of smoulder (again, probably due to him freezing), and boyishness (oh to be the card).   *wink*  What messages do you perceive from these selfies?
 

  

But Richard Armitage has been so busy with his most recent project in filming his 10 episode EPIX tv series “Berlin Station”—set to debut in Fall 2016–that I and many other RA Fans/Admirers have been yearning for more recent 2016 pictures of him.   We need something to tide us over until one of his completed film projects—“Pilgrimage”, “Brain on Fire”, “Sleepwalker”, etc.–are released.

And we were not disappointed when Richard Armitage turned up at at his most recent event appearance last Saturday, February 13, 2016 in Berlin, Germany at the Medienboard Reception (thanks to links by Fabolaktuko)  looking dapper, dashing, and oh so elegant.  THUD!

But the images had Richard Armitage initially—and for me frustratingly–posing facing away from the camera with no direct gaze (below with his EPIX tv show “Berlin Station” costar Richard Jenkins, left):

Though Richard Armitage is rocking his formal suit with wearing a double breasted vest/waistcoat (above)—elevating banker’s attire everywhere to heartthrob status—it is clear that his attention is elsewhere.  I wanted to say “look back, look back at the camera”.  Perhaps the photographer took this photo without alerting both Richards that he was taking a picture.  I wonder if “over hear” was not yelled out by photographers at this event.  Perhaps, the paparazzi are more polite in Berlin than seen and heard on other red carpets.  Hmmm.

However, most happily, another more recently shared image from the event managed to give me/us the Richard Armitage recent gaze picture that I was looking for among the recent Berlin Medienboard Reception images–thanks to Noemi for pointing me to the cropped image of Richard Armitage only, which led me to Fernanda’s post (Thanks!)–with the uncropped image and with the link to the article in Variety (below)  and the full image on Richard’s twitter feed with his “Berlin Station” costar again, Richard Jenkins (left):

Richard Armitage (above right) is giving a great gaze here—direct, with a pleasant smile, and relaxed shoulders—and he looks handsome and confident as he looks into/through the camera to me/us.  Sighhhh!  Purrrrfect!  More images from the Medienboard event are archived at RAnet.

P.S.  How about another selfie, Richard?  You were playfully dodging the camera with your other “Berlin Station” costar, the lovely Michelle Forbes, and her selfie of the two of you (below)—though both of your smiles are heavenly.  And though I do detect some bemused distraction on your part, I would say that you are being more playful and happy than contemplative here.  *wink*  You go, fella!

This man=Heaven
Full stop. @RCArmitage @BerlinStation pic.twitter.com/wt9P2Qwmt6

— Michelle Forbes (@MishkaForbes) January 28, 2016