"Jeeves and Worcester": the actors of the series

In the early nineties on the screens went out the costumed British series "Jeeves and Worcester" about the life of aristocrats of the 20-30 years of the twentieth century. Unlike most similar films, the protagonist of this show was not a well-bred lord or a prim lady. In the center of the story was a tandem from a resourceful servant and his slightly stupid master, a fairly decent gentleman, but because of his short-sightedness constantly falling into all sorts of trouble.

The literary basis of the television series "Jeeves and Worcester"

The series was based on the works of Sir Pelam G. Woodhouse, who knows firsthand about the everyday life of young gentlemen, who often received their position in society not because of their merits. And just because they were born in the right family. They received a brilliant education and were admitted to higher society, but were often unworthy of the place they occupied.

The main hero of the stories about the adventures of a gentleman and his servant was the young aristocrat Bertram Wooster, whom relatives and friends affectionately call Bertie. He received an excellent education, but after studying, like most young people of his position, Worcester did not do anything, spending all his time in the company of friends or in the elite club for the gentlemen "Trutny." He also quite often visits his relatives and participates at their request in various auctions, concerts, fairs and other charitable events. Being a good, small, noble man, who can be called a "gentleman", Bertram is incredibly stupid, and his numerous aristocratic relatives know this very well. His caring aunts constantly tried to marry their nephew, so that the intelligent wife "put the brains" Bertie. Trying to prove that he is not so stupid, and also constantly trying not to let himself be married, Worcester finds himself in all sorts of absurd situations, from which his trusted valet Jeeves, another main hero of this story, helps him out.

The full name of Wooster's faithful servant is Reginald Jeeves. Unlike his master, he is very intelligent, well-read, resourceful and has an impeccable taste. Despite the fact that Jeeves surpasses his master in almost everything, he does his best to help the unlucky gentleman and his friends get out of the troubles they tend to fall into.

Actors and roles of the series "Jeeves and Worcester"

The main roles in the series were performed by two brilliant British comedians - Steven Fry and Hugh Laurie. The performers of the main roles were a well-known comedy tandem even before filming in the TV series "Jeeves and Worcester". Actors studied in Cambridge, where they met and became friends, and also began to compose a variety of comedy performances that were so popular that soon friends started to produce their own program on the television "The Fry and Laurie Show."

Both actors were fans of the work of Woodhouse, and therefore, when their duet was offered roles in the series based on the works of this author, they gladly agreed. With their characteristic ingenuity, they introduced their edits to the series.

Before Fry played Jeeves, it was thought that Worcester's valet was an older man (the age of the servant is not specified in the novel). But the actor so brilliantly got used to the image of his character, that in all the subsequent screen versions and productions, it became accepted to take on the role of valet younger actors, and not old men, as it was before.

Perhaps it was the creative approach of the comedy duo that made the protagonists of the series so lively and interesting for the current viewers of the Jeeves and Worcester series. Actors and roles are so intertwined that many viewers after so many years continue to be called Fry Jeeves, and Laurie to Wooster.

Steven Fry

Even before the show, the actor was quite popular in England. His childhood was classical for the Englishman: private schools and liberal arts education. However, having a restless character, Stephen eternally vlyapyvalsya in alterations. Eventually, at seventeen, Fry still ended up in jail for three months, and also received a suspended sentence of two years.

Despite his criminal past and reputation, this man was so clever and talented that he could enter an elite university like Cambridge, studying English literature. Here he began to take an active part in the activities of the student theater.

A few years later, friends were offered to conduct their own show, but it was not successful. Fry and Laurie did not come to terms with failure, they organized a comedy duo and after numerous attempts created the program "Fry and Laurie Show", which could hold on for eight whole years.

At the same time, Stephen actively participated in other projects. The actor adapted the musical "Me and my girl". This production was a huge success and for eight years successfully toured the whole country and beyond.

Stephen Fry also participated in another significant television series before the project "Jeeves and Worcester" - "Black Viper." This TV project is very fond of the audience.

However, the real popularity and recognition throughout the world to Stephen was still his valet Jeeves. And although a few years later, the actor brilliantly performed the role of Oscar Wilde in the film of the same name and was recognized as the best performer of this role in the history of television, for the majority of spectators he will forever remain erudite Jeeves with the perfect sense of style and disgrace in his eyes.

After the closure of the Jeeves and Worcester project, the actors still remained best friends and even released a book. But each of them started his own way. Fry continued to act in films, though in episodes. He also participated in many programs as a guest guest. In addition, Stephen began to actively engage in literary activity: he wrote novels, articles, plays, essays.

At the moment, the actor is recognized as the carrier of classical English. Therefore, he conducts an educational program on the radio, and also writes audiobooks. It is the voice of Stephen Fry that tells the storyteller of all audiobooks about the adventures of Harry Potter. In addition, he voiced several video games and cartoon characters.

Today, the actor, like a classical gentleman, leads an active social life and participates in many charitable projects.

Hugh Laurie

Unlike his hero, Laurie is a fairly smart and talented person and actor. The childhood of the future star passed in the same way as in Fry, in private schools, although it should be noted that Lori's parents are Scots. It's very hard to believe in looking at the typically British appearance of the actor.

Since childhood, Hugh professionally engaged in academic rowing, won the national championship and received a lot of other prestigious sports awards. However, due to illness, he had to postpone his training, so in the free time he began to play in the amateur theater of Cambridge, where he met his future "Jeeves". Further, Lori's career developed synchronously with Fry's career. Although, when he and his colleague starred in the "Black Viper," Hugh became more famous, because in the last two seasons of the series, unlike Steven, he had the main roles. His characters were painfully similar to Bertie from the series "Jeeves and Worcester." Actors with whom he had to work in this project, in many ways helped Laurie improve his game, because he had no acting background - in Cambridge he studied archeology and anthropology.

After there was a series of episodic roles, until in 1990 the duo of Fry-Laurie started working on the series "Jeeves and Worcester".

The actor also played small roles in other films, starred in music videos and voiced cartoons. In the year the series was released together with Fry, they published a book that became a bestseller.

After the end of the series, despite the popularity, Lori continued to get secondary roles. Also, the actor was engaged in voice acting of cartoon characters and recording audiobooks.

At the beginning of the two thousandth career, Laurie went up. He was given the main role in the British film "Everything is possible, baby", as well as in the mini-series "A Little For Forty".

An unexpected turn in the career was the participation in the American TV series "Doctor House". The role of a doctor with a disability who hates people, but is a genius diagnostician, brought the actor an incredible popularity all over the world and a lot of awards. Moreover, thanks to the role of Dr. Gregory House, Laurie was in the Guinness Book of Records as an artist who collected the maximum number of viewers from TV screens.

Today, the actor actively withdraws, participates in the TV show, and also tours with his band around the world. In 2005, he, like Steven Fry, released his book, and in 2007 the Queen of Great Britain awarded him the Order of the British Empire.

With Stephen Fry, the actor is friendly to this day, in addition, it is Jeeves who is the godfather of all his children.

Other actors of the series

The given project has allowed to prove to many other talented British actors. Among them, Robert Daws, who played the intimate and amorous friend of Bertie - Tuppy.

This wonderful actor of small roles had previously acted in the "Fry and Laurie Show", so he gladly agreed to participate in this project. Well proven in the series, Dawes began to withdraw a lot, mostly on television. Unfortunately, most of the television series with his participation were not shown in Russia, except perhaps the beautiful costume series "The Elliot Sisters House", where Robert played a completely different type.

Another bright star of the series was an experienced theater actress Brenda Bruce, who played in the first season aunt Delia, who loves her stupid nephew and dreams to attach it at last. In her youth, Brenda was shot in television performances, and also participated in the TV show of her husband. After the end of the series, she appeared in two more films, and in 1996 she died.

The famous Full Lady (Elizabeth Spriggs) from the first film about the adventures of Harry Potter also participated in filming several episodes of the television series, replacing in the fourth season Mary Wimbush, previously performed the role of Aunt Agatha. The actress was able to perfectly replace her predecessor. After the end of the series, she often acted in films on secondary roles. She even had a chance to appear in Mikhalkov's film The Siberian Barber. With Hugh Laurie Elizabeth later worked together in the movie "Mind and Feelings," it's noteworthy that in this project she played his mother-in-law.

A bright and unforgettable character who participated in the adventures of Jeeves and Worcester in all four seasons, was also fond of the ideas of fascism Roderick Spode. This character was played by John Turner. Despite the fact that this actor started acting in films from the age of twenty-four, he was never able to achieve much success, although he had occasion to participate in many interesting projects. The role in the series "Jeeves and Wooster" became for him the most significant, although after the television series he continued to act actively until in 2000 he left the profession.

In the series "Jeeves and Worcester", many talented actors were shot, but most of them are unknown outside their homeland.

Despite the fact that the series came out more than a quarter of a century ago, it is still popular all over the world. In many countries, when learning English to produce correct pronunciation, students include fragments from the series "Jeeves and Worcester."

The actors who played in this film, interior designers and costumes, as well as the whole crew of the crew so successfully conveyed the sense of the era in which the action takes place, that the series received two awards from the British Film Academy for the best design and graphics.

"Jeeves and Worcester" - a series that is one of the pearls of British and world cinema. First of all, it is the merit of the comedians Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, who managed to make their heroes alive and bright. It is unfortunate that they did not receive proper awards for this work, however, popularity and spectator love exceed any gilded statuettes or medals.