Tag Archives: Catherine Balavage

Christopher Eccleston: I've Been Hacked, I'm Suing Murdoch & Why I Left Dr Who

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FROST EXCLUSIVE

Christopher Eccleston said today (Wednesday) that he found out he was hacked yesterday and plans to sue Rupert Murdoch. Eccleston added he was looking forward to sticking the boot into Murdoch.

The actor also disclosed that he didn’t work for three years after he left drama school in 1986 and that he left Dr Who because of politics, saying that he didn’t like the culture.

He said:

“I left Doctor Who because I could not get along with the senior people. I left because of politics. I did not see eye-to-eye with them. I didn’t agree with the way things were being run. I didn’t like the culture that had grown up, around the series. So I left, I felt, over a principle.

“I thought to remain, which would have made me a lot of money and given me huge visibility, the price I would have had to pay was to eat a lot of shit. I’m not being funny about that. I didn’t want to do that and it comes to the art of it, in a way. I feel that if you run your career and– we are vulnerable as actors and we are constantly humiliating ourselves auditioning. But if you allow that to go on, on a grand scale you will lose whatever it is about you and it will be present in your work.

“If you allow your desire to be successful and visible and financially secure – if you allow that to make you throw shades on your parents, on your upbringing, then you’re knackered. You’ve got to keep something back, for yourself, because it’ll be present in your work. A purity or an idealism is essential or you’ll become– you’ve got to have standards, no matter how hard work that is. So it makes it a hard road, really.

“You know, it’s easy to find a job when you’ve got no morals, you’ve got nothing to be compromised, you can go, ‘Yeah, yeah. That doesn’t matter. That director can bully that prop man and I won’t say anything about it’. But then when that director comes to you and says ‘I think you should play it like this’ you’ve surely got to go ‘How can I respect you, when you behave like that?’

“So, that’s why I left. My face didn’t fit and I’m sure they were glad to see the back of me. The important thing is that I succeeded. It was a great part. I loved playing him. I loved connecting with that audience. Because I’ve always acted for adults and then suddenly you’re acting for children, who are far more tasteful; they will not be bullshitted. It’s either good, or it’s bad. They don’t schmooze at after-show parties, with cocktails.”

Eccleston also revealed that he should have resisted making Gone in 60 Seconds and that he would have made more money on British TV, He also called GI Joe a “terrible movie.” The star added that he only makes bad movies in Hollywood for the money and would never “shit on his own doorstep.”

He also said that he didn’t want to be remembered, but if he was, it would be for Hamlet.

Rupert Murdoch: This is the most humble day of my life.

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Phone hacking Updates: Sean Hoare Dead, Murdochs, Yates and Stephenson Face committee.

 

In a sad development in the phone hacking juggernaut, Sean Hoare, 47, was found dead amidst ‘unexplained’ circumstances. Hoares, who accused his former editor, Andy Coulson, of illegal activity, was found dead at his home days after he made fresh allegations against executives who he worked for.

Police said they did not at this stage suspect foul play. Before his death he told the Guardian : “There’s more to come. This is not going to go away.” and the New York Times that Coulson’s claim that he knew nothing about the hacking was “simply a lie”.

 

Prime Minister David Cameron has cut short a trip to Africa as the crisis worsens, unlike Elisabeth Murdoch, who had went on holiday with husband Matthew Freud as her father Rupert, and brother James, face the select committee. Mr Cameron will face questions from MPs after Parliament summer recess was delayed so he could make an emergency Commons statement. Mr Cameron will be facing some tough questions over his decision to hire Andy Coulson as his media strategist.

Watch the live hacking commitee and the Murdoch’s being interviewed courtesy of the Telegraph

 

Other developments:

 

John Yates has resigned over his links to Neil Wallis, former deputy editor of the News of the World. Yates twice resisted requests to reopen the investigation into phone hacking.

 

Sir Paul Stephenson, head of the Metropolitan Police, also known as Scotland Yard, Resigned. Stephenson referred to his resignation saying; “It was my decision and my decision only.”

 

Boris Johnson has denied that he personally intervened in the resignation of Sir Paul Stephenson, the Met Commissioner and Mr Yates.

 

Rebekah Brooks was arrested on Sunday. She will still answer questions from the committee.

 

James Murdoch’s future looks uncertain and he will face the same panels of MPs as Brooks and his father.

 

Rupert Murdoch was mobbed by the press as he arrives at the Houses of Parliament. His wife, Wendi Deng, sat behind him as he was being interviewed and touched his arm in comfort a few times.

 

The scandal has rocked Britain and made the Murdochs, who were untouchable just last month, fair game. It is alleged the over 4000 people’s phones were hacked. Rupert Murdoch made an apologyy in newspapers over the weekend and also personallyapologiseded to Milly Dowler’s family after her phone was hacked.

James Murdoch perviously said: “We now have voluntarily given evidence to the police that I believe will prove that this was untrue and those who acted wrongly will have to face the consequences,This was not the only fault. The paper made statements to Parliament without being in the full possession of the facts. This was wrong.”

“I don’t see how he can survive,” Howell Raines, former executive editor of The New York Times told ABCNews.com. “Seems to me that the movement both politically and legally is ominous.”

 

Rupert Murdoch has defended his son by saying; “I think he acted as fast as he could, the moment he could,” he told the Wall Street Journal.

Dame Helen Mirren "believes in fairies".

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The 65-year-old actress describes herself as a “spiritual” person but admits she is not religious and doesn’t believe in God.

She said: “I am quite spiritual. I believed in the fairies when I was a child. I still do sort of believe in the fairies. And the leprechauns. But I don’t believe in God.”

The ‘Queen’ star also admitted she always carries her own tea bags whenever she has to travel anywhere in order to brew her favourite beverage.

She told America’s Esquire magazine: “I drink just as much tea when I’m in Los Angeles as I do when I’m in London. I take my tea bags with me wherever I go. PG Tips.”

Tea is not the only drink Helen enjoys – the actress thinks a good party required “lots and lots” of alcohol, though she doesn’t like throwing bashes herself.

She said: “I don’t throw a lot of parties. I find throwing parties a bit intimidating. What makes a good one? Loads and loads of drink, I suppose. But that can be a disaster as well.”

The actress – who is married to director Taylor Hackford – also admitted she was an “idiot” when she was younger, but thinks that is normal, and lamented the fact people are always filled with “self-doubt” in their twenties as it is the best time of life.

She added: “We’re all idiots when we’re young. We don’t think we are, but we are. So we should be.

“The hardest period in life is one’s twenties. It’s a shame because you’re your most gorgeous and you’re physically in peak condition. But it’s actually when you’re most insecure and full of self-doubt. When you don’t know what’s going to happen, it’s frightening.”

Kelly Osbourne got mistaken for Lady Gaga in London.

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The 26-year-old star was forced to leave the Dolce and Gabbana showroom, where she was having a dress fitting, after being “accosted” by fans who thought she was the eccentric pop star.

She revealed on her twitter account: “Just had a fitting at Dolce & Gabbana and they have to be the nicest press office ever thank you so much ladies! See you Thursday!

“I had to leave this place everyone thought I was @ladygaga and accosted me. I truly mean no disrespect I love @ladygaga but it’s to much for me to handle I have a hole new respect!!!!! (sic)”

Kelly has had an eventful week in the UK capital so far.

The TV star caught two boys trying to steal a parked car on Monday night , and the hoodlums ran off when Kelly shouted at them.

She revealed on her twitter account: “Just stopped 2 boys robbing a car all I said was ‘oi’ and they ran like the wind. I did not realise I was that scary!”

Later the same evening the blonde beauty encountered two more boys trying to push an electric G-Wiz car on its side.

She added in other tweets: “WTF is going on tonight just stopped 2 boys with lacrosse sticks trying to push Gee-Wizz car on it’s side what’s wrong with London police?

“I’m in one of the poshest parts of London and it’s like f*****g crime watch! (sic)”

The Horrors' Faris Badwan doesn't like lyrics to be "too pretentious".

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The Horrors’ Faris Badwan doesn’t like lyrics to be “too pretentious”.

The 24-year-old lead singer in the band – which is also made up of Joshua Hayward (guitar) Tom Cowan (synthesizer and bass) Rhys Webb (bass and organs) and Joseph Spurgeon (drums)  – prefers people to “make their own insights” into his words.

He said: “I know everyone succumbs to the odd cliche and everyone writes a rotten lyric, but I never like them to seem too planned out or pretentious. I like it when people make their own insights.”

Rhys revealed the group – who have previously released albums ‘Strange House’ and ‘Primary Colours’ – wanted to experiment on their latest record ‘Skying’ and touch on their combined interest of a “warped sense of reality”.

He said: “I think you can really paint a picture with music. The early stuff was quite straightforward and monochrome. I think we did want to go technicolour and psychedelic and explore what we could do with what we had to do it with.

“We’re all interested in that feeling of a warped sense of reality, elevation in music and the way music can affect the listener and how you feel when you hear it. It’s a really powerful thing. The idea of elevation and euphoria is something that we like.”