I’ve always been intrigued by
Simon Callow. There seems to be nothing he can’t do. In 1979 he set the theatre
world abuzz with his portrayal of cocky young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Peter
Shaffer’s Amadeus. (By the time the play became an Oscar-winning film,
he had aged out of the part and taken a lesser role.) He later played memorable
mostly-comic roles in classic British costume dramas like A Room with a View
(as the jovial Reverend Beebe), Howards End, and Shakespeare in
Love. I particularly relish his unforgettable performance in Four
Weddings and a Funeral, one that prompts the film’s most touching moment.
Clearly a man who is intellectually restless, Callow has tried directing too,
and has published biographies of such major artistic figures as Oscar Wilde,
Charles Laughton, Richard Wagner, and Orson Welles. I read the first volume of
his Welles book, The Road to Xanadu¸ and found it a fascinating exploration
of Welles as an actor, seen through the eyes of a kindred spirit.
But it was Callow’s first book Being an Actor (originally 1984, but recently updated), that had a small impact on my own life. When I was still in my Roger Corman years, this in-depth primer on the theatrical arts was enthusiastically recommended to me by the actor David Birney. Having read it, I couldn’t wait to meet Callow, and the opportunity presented itself when he came to L.A. to direct an obscure drama at the Los Angeles Theatre Center. He was happy to be interviewed by me, partly because he hoped for an introduction to Roger Corman. (Yes, he had a film project in mind, but ultimately Roger didn’t cotton to it.) In any case, that’s how I ended up having a sumptuous breakfast with Simon in the dining room of L.A.’s venerable Biltmore Hotel. To my not very great surprise, this was a man who truly enjoyed good food. I think it’s fair to say he has a real appetite for life in all its forms.
I’ve been thinking of Simon of late because I just finished watching Etoile, the Amazon Prime mini-series in which he has a central role. It was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and husband Daniel Palladino, who both write and direct. As the folks responsible for Gilmore Girls and more recently The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, both know how to put together a series that blends comedy and human drama. Set in the ballet world, Etoile posits that major dance companies in Paris and New York City trade prime talents for a season, in order to goose ticket sales. Naturally there’s a lot of emotion involved, as well as some spectacular dancing. Top-billed Luke Kirby struts and frets as the artistic director of the New York Metropolitan Ballet. (He was Lenny Bruce in Mrs. Maisel.) Charlotte Gainsbourg is appealing as his beleaguered French counterpart. There are lots of storylines involving various dancers (as well as one extremely petulant but talented choreographer), but the most unforgettable is Lou de Laâge as Cheyenne Toussant, a Parisian “étoile” (prima ballerina) whose ego is as large as her talent, and whose sexual appetites are not easily satisfied. She’s a wonderful whirlwind of a character, one who seems perennially angry, though there are hints of her softer side.
Among all these talents lurks Simon Callow as Crispin Shamblee, a British oil baron who donates ostentatiously to both ballet companies, and expects their fealty in return. He is always popping up at the wrong moment, thoroughly enjoying his ability to make trouble for one and all. A man of many appetites indeed.