Los Angeles, CA (I-Newswire) July 3, 2014 - Following Jaguar’s successful US Super bowl “Its Good to Be Bad” commercial, introducing their new “F-type” performance car that featured a slew of renowned British talent, including Avengers star Tom Hiddleston, and Oscar winning actor Ben Kingsley.
An obvious choice when casting their new “Follow the Villain” 5 part series of commercials for its F-TYPE R Coupe was British actor - Craig Robert Young.
Start with a mysterious British Villain, four stunning Jaguar cars, an enigmatic leading lady, a group of antagonists, mix in dramatic car chases and striking locations, and you have Jaguar’s latest ambitious and entertaining branded exercise.
Young’s career in on-screen villainy started in the (UK) award winning TV series, “Dream Team” portraying ex-con turned-pro soccer player, Alex Wilkinson.
Following a succession of leading roles that included three of J. J Abraham’s hit productions – “Lost”, “What About Brian” and the cult sci-fi phenomenon “Fringe”, which lead to Young being named one of TV’s “Top Ten Villains” on “whatculture.com”.
Craig’s popularity playing the charismatic “bad boy” caught the eye of the producers of the No.1 rated US procedural drama “NCIS: Los Angeles” who offered Craig to recur as Dracul Comescu in both NCIS: Los Angeles and Hawaii Five-0.
In the “Follow the Villain” campaign, we see our suave “bad boy”, Craig Robert Young choosing the right car for his escape… With it’s soaring performance, the F-TYPE R Coupe offers outstanding levels of dynamic capability and control with its 5.0 liter supercharged V8 engine produces 550 horsepower, accelerating from 0-60 mph in just 4.0 seconds making it the perfect choice for any fast getaway.
The F-type R coupe tops Jaguar’s new sports car range; it’s the most powerful series-production Jag model ever. It responds accurately to even the smallest of steering inputs through an exceptionally stiff body. It is fearsome, loud, and fast
Craig says: “I was thrilled to get behind the wheel of this beautiful sleek high performance machine. 550 horsepower is sheer winning in style and I am thrilled and honored to be chosen as the next super-villain in this fantastic series.”
Craig Robert Young’s talents hit big screen this coming fall playing a good guy in the multiple award winning “Return to the Hiding Place” following a successful limited release in eight cities in the US earlier this month.
This miniseries was created and produced exclusively by MindOverEye, part of the Creative Services division of TEN: The Enthusiast Network.
Jaguar will be rolling out all five commercials with the hashtag #followthevillain
As an avid theatre go-er and a recent performer at The Malibu Playhouse, it came to my attention that there are some incredibly vile audience members out there, and quite frankly they need a little guide on how to behave in the theatre.
www.dailytelegraph.co.uk
A quick guide to theatre etiquette. by craig Robert Young 6/30/14 1. DRESS NICE & DON'T BE LATE
www.guim.co.uk
This is not your kids baseball game. Theatre going is considered dignified, a touch of elegance and class will go along way. Don't take your shoes off once seated. You might not think your feet smell, but constant brushing your toes against the back of the person-in-front's chair will start to permeate of rotten kippers. Also, there is nothing worse than, once the show has started, the bright light of the usher's flashlight beaming from the aisles, or the brush of latecomers stepping on toes with hush whispers of "excuse me, please, sorry..." It's very distracting. Last time I checked your name is not the one above the marquee.
2. DON'T TALK
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Seriously, we don't care if that's your friend in the chorus, you don't understand what's going on, or that Adele Nazeem was better in 'Wicked'. Keep your comments until the interval or preferably after the show. We can hear your whispers and the person next to you can't. #annoying. Shhhh, means exactly that. Shut it! And don't talk back to the stage, this is not audience participation, this is not Jerry Springer. We will not respond to your "Don't go in there," "Don't trust him girl", "He done it with the candlestick in the drawing-room".
3. DON'T HECKLE
A scene from "Scary movie"
You will face the wrath of fed-up actors now, like John Lacy who stepped down from the stage at the Repertory East Playhouse in Newhall, Calif., to confront a man who twice screamed "f*g" during a Saturday performance of the two-act play 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'. Lacy pushed the heckler and he fell to the floor. And don't be like spoiled-brat actor Shia LeDouche (LeBouef) who is facing charges of disorderly conduct, criminal trespassing and harassment for yelling obscenities, followed by rants of "Do you know who I am?" as he was escorted out of a recent performance of 'Cabaret.' Exception to the rule, Bad comics doing stand up, and Pantomime, then all bets are off.
4. GET OFF YOUR PHONE
Whether it be calling, texting, or using it as a vibrating plaything, turn it off. They even say before show, "Please turn your phone off and all electronic devices." Comply. We don't care if you're waiting on that important call from Spielberg or checking the sports scores, 'grind'r-ing or tinder-ing. Perhaps checking the time or looking at who's playing the swing to Neil Patrick Harris. NO... no... no... Just wait until the interval, or get there early to peruse the cast bios. Speaking of NPH, recently, both he and Academy award winning actor Kevin Spacey, during performances and with humor and wit of course, told the perpetrators to turn off their phones. Listen up people. We hate you!
5. DON'T TAKE PICTURES OR VIDEO
This is a big no -no - Just like at the movies this is against the law. The taking of Sneaky selfies or full blown recording video on your flip or phone is banned. And for good reason - This is not your kindergarten show and tell, this is artists at work, from the writer, designer and the actors. Live theatre is supposed to be appreciated LIVE! Not to be recaptured. Recently Patti LaPone and James McAvoy both halted their shows to wait for violators to stop recording.
6. DON'T MUNCH OR SLURP
Candy wrappers. - Urgh! I don't care how hungry you are. You can't be quiet at this task. It's impossible. A sweetie is not gonna fill you up or tidy you over. This is not the movies - No popcorn, nor bubble gum. Sticking your gum under the seat is just vile. No sodas with straws to slurp either. It's very distracting for the audience too. If someone looks around at you and gives you the eye of death. This means STOP!
7. DON'T WEAR HEAVY CLUNKY JEWELRY
The show probably hired a sound designer already, so don;t add to it with your jingle jangling. This ain't the mall or Dan Tana's. Its dark, so no one can see you, so leave your Cleopatra collection of Cubic Zirconia at home in the safe! You ain't a one-man band, mmmkay?
8. DON'T BE SICK OR FALL ASLEEP
www.dailymail.com
Do yourself and everyone else the favor and stay at home. Audience members will look at you with utter disgust and the constant coughing, sneezing or blowing of nose will more than likely get the players sick too, then everyone else will get the understudy. Be considerate. Feel sick? Stay home. Nodding off and snoring is not on either. In fact, leave. Seriously. Leave go home and go to bed, what a waste of money. If the person next to you drops off, feel free to take your index finger and prod them in the eye, real fast and swift. Its dark they won't know who done it and it's a sure fire way to make sure they won't close their eyes again.
9. LEAVE YOUR PETS AT HOME
Please, for the sake of your dog too. Do you know that your pet can feel emotion? Loud noise hurts their ears (clapping and laughter) and when a fueled scene is happening on stage, your little fluffy anxiety service dog. Guaranteed will piss all over you. Leave it at home. If you've anxiety, stay at home too and stare at white walls, knit, play with knives, just don't go and see "Hedwig", because trust me, Neil PH will pull out his angry inch and chase you and your little dog too all the way out of the theatre.
10. DON'T LEAVE BEFORE THE BOW
This is the height of rudeness. Actors have spent weeks rehearsing to bring you their talents. At least give the courtesy to wait until the cast have taken their bows, and acknowledged the stage manager and crew. Wait until they have completely cleared the stage before exiting whether you liked it or not, please just appreciate the hard work. Your bladder can wait a few seconds more even if you can't.
-- CURTAIN.
P.s. Feel free to pass around to all theatre lovers and haters alike ;-)
"Craig is Especially Fine & could play any of Coward's leading men." "His performance was Simply Awesome."
"It will go down as one of the most memorable stage performances I have witnessed."
"He was absolutely fabulous." "WOW!" "Powerfully rendered. "
"The most powerful, emotional , best acted play I've ever seen. I had to shake it off my clothes and my soul. I still haven't recovered.""Powerhouse performance!"
"Impressive, Young takes on Nicky with a downward spiral from Bright Young Thing to a final scene imbued with a truly frightening and obsessive madness."
Craig Robert Young is currently starring in The Malibu Playhouse's production of Noel Coward’s THE VORTEX "Native Brit Young could easily step into the shoes of just about every Coward romantic lead, but he is especially fine as Nicky, and never more so than in the Vortex’s devastating gut punch of a finale, played to the hilt by the production’s two stars." —Steven Stanley (StageScreenLA.com)
As Nicky Lancaster, Craig Robert Young gives a bravura performance. He shifts beautifully between the funny, expressive, an outwardly confident young man to the little boy, who needs care. Utterly believable & heartbreaking, he shows Nicky’s struggle, disappointment, hope, yearning. With a real sense of desperation & impending violence, he had me on the edge of my seat. - Catherine Siggins - The Anglo Files.
Nicky -- the Noel Coward role -- is superbly acted by Craig Robert Young. He depicts vividly the young man's confused and unrequited longing for a maternal bond. - Malibu Times
His performance is truly deserving, so here it is: "I loved watching him on stage, great sense of fun and irony he brought to the character, colors abound. It will go down as one of the most memorable stage performances I have witnessed. The words James Bond came to mind, uncanny? - Clive Pearson
For his theatrical skills, Craig deserves a gold star somewhere! He was simply awesome! - Kerstin Alm
Craig was absolutely fabulous in The Vortex at the Malibu Playhouse! I loved the show he was outstanding in the performance - the second act was just incredible! I heard someone say "wow!" as the lights faded to black out at the end - Laura-Beth Hill
In the flashy role of Nicky, Craig Robert Young enters the stage with the explosive power of a hand grenade but then slows it down with some equally effective nuanced work as his character's pain, addiction and other secrets emerge. - Sandro Monetti - Actorsreporter.com
The most powerful, emotional , Best acted play I've ever seen. I had to shake it off my clothes and my soul. I still haven't recovered - Erika Bokamper
Opening night of The Vortex at Malibu Playhouse with Craig Robert Young was phenomenal! - Ben Stanley
The Vortex at the Malibu Playhouse. It was spectacular. Definitely worth checking out. Craig Bobby Young does a wonderful job. - Walter Tabayong
Just got home from seeing a preview of The Vortex at the Malibu Playhouse, which is directed by Gene Franklin Smith staring Craig Bobby Young and Shannon Holt. To the entire cast and crew, thank you so much for an amazing job so beautifully done in every aspect of the word. - Scott Kaske
Craig was excellent - Valerie King
Craig was fantastic in the preview show. If it's any sign of what's to come for the real run, watch out!! Well done. Congratulations. - Ewan Chung
Both Holt and Young give powerhouse performances under Smith’s generally assured directorial hand. - STAGE SCREEN LA
The set design, costumes and the acting were superb! The cast were well prepared and performed effortlessly! -Goldstar reviewer.
The extended climax in the scene between Florence and Nicky (powerfully rendered by Craig Robert Young) is positively searing. - Goldstar
"Impressive, Young takes on Nicky with a downward spiral from Bright Young Thing to a final scene imbued with a truly frightening and obsessive madness." www.malibusurfsidenews.com
I met John Anthony Sutton at our Brits in LA pub crawl a few months back. Pub Crawl is essentially a Brit thing, where a few mates all meet at one pub, have a pint, then walk/stumble/crawl to another for a pint, then end up pretty much legless for last orders at a final place. Anyway by the by, he asked if he could talk some shots of me for his portfolio, having not long shot with Stoyan Vassev, I was a bit apprehensive, but a few pints in and I would have agreed to sleep with his mother. But, turns out I'm glad i did as I'm pretty pleased with the following shots. I was able to get a couple of things that were missing from my repertoire. Clean shaved, and some with my specs - ever since my turn as the nerdy scientist in Fringe. I had no shot to represent that side of me- -So hopefully I succeed in getting some for me - as well as helping John gain some more work. The shoot was very comfortable, and John fancies himself as a bit of a comedian, he is also very precise. He knows what angles work and what doesn't. It was all a very painless process, for me anyway, I'm sure John's hand was aching pretty bad afterwards, that camera was pretty heavy. The cost is only $195 for two looks and if you are dissatisfied with your shoot you won't have to pay, which is a pretty good policy. Visit his facebook page to see more examples of his work.
I'm putting them up here to find out what you guys think. What does this series say to you?
So around ten years ago, I met Richard Keith, he was a young talented photographer who was making his first short film, 'Exhibit A' He was looking for someone to play the lead. A young lad in private school who was obsessed with hunting, not animals but the weak, and abducts a fellow class mate to torture. I auditioned well but he had someone else in mind. He had left his email on the script, so that night I looked him up and added him on Aol Instant message. We started talking about our influences and the movies we liked, Scorsese, Kurosawa, Christopher Guest comedies. I'm sure somewhere in the conversation I flattered him and his directing style and the writing of Exhibit A. Thanks Steve Jobs and your technology for helping me win the role and placing Richard in my life.
Director and co-writer Richard Keith
Exhibit A was a really fun experience for me as an actor, Richard and I worked closely for months on the piece. I shared some of my writing with him a film script called 'Lifted', which he had some ideas about, and he shared some new material he had been working on too. After Exhibit had ran the festival circuit in the US. We knew we wanted to collaborate on something else. I would constantly be telling Richard anecdotes about my transition to acting in L.A., and the weird and whacky people I had encountered and certain sticky situations I would find myself in. So he suggested that we recreate some of these scenarios and put them into a script. What started as a very broad comedy called "Meet Ronnie Deli" soon became a grounded based on a true story, mockumentary. Richard and I thought it might be fun to film a few scenes from the script to see how it would turn out. I asked a few of my acting buddies Adam Huss and Anna Becker to help out.
Me, with Anna Becker (Molly) and Adam Huss (Paul)
We let loose and came up with some really interesting material. The dance off scene was the first one we shot, then the security guard scene, then the Paul meets Molly scene soon followed. Richard edited it together and we showed it around to a few people, who flipped and encouraged us to continue to shoot more.
We had no money and were both struggling to make ends meet, Richard got me a job in a production company as a producers assistant. one day I showed my boss what we were up to and he loved it. He gave us use of all his office space to use as locations, so every weekend or evenings after work we would bring in our actors and skeleton crew - usually just Richard. And we slowly knock the script out.
We were so lucky with our cast, most everyone who is in the film was a friend, or someone I had worked with on other shorts or knew from acting classes I had taken.
So about four months later we had a complete film. We decided to hold an industry screening at Culver Studios. It was a huge success, a packed house with agents from CAA, William Morris. Producers, distributors. The room was on fire and everyone was laughing in all the right places. I remember sitting at the back grinning from ear to ear. So proud that we had pulled it off.
Afterward the screening Kevin Huvane from CAA asked us if we had thought about making it into a TV series and wanted to get it to his TV department.
This was huge!
We bought on another producer to help us figure out deals coz what did we know?
A pitch meeting was set up with David Madden at Fox Studios - we showed him some scenes form the film and he loved it, he offered us an if come deal - in laymen terms this means he wasn't going to give us any upfront money but if it sold to a network, we'd get paid. CAA were having none of it and advised us to not take the deal. So we didn't.
Things went really quiet with CAA after that and we thought it was the end of the road, so Richard submitted the film to a few festivals. We were excepted to the Boston Film Festival which we both got to go to, our first festival. it was great. Unfortunately for us it was a dead house, perhaps twenty people showed up, however we did get some great reviews from the press.
Nickelodeon show "Just For Kicks"
Meanwhile I had booked an acting gig on a show called 'Just For Kicks', A Nickelodeon show produced my Whoopi Goldberg. so Wannabe had taken a back seat.
Richard was handling it and called me after the film had played at the LA Independent film festival, that he had met a guy called Tony Jonas in line for popcorn and persuaded him to see our film instead of the one he was booked for. Afterwards Tony offered us a deal for TV. Turns out Tony had been the president of Warner Bros. TV for eight years, the guy responsible for putting Friends on the air.
I met with him a few days later and his enthusiasm and excitement for wannabe was electric, this guy could sell ice cones to eskimos (A line from the movie)
He knew exactly where it belonged and who should show run it. Marta Kauffman the co-creator of FRIENDS, yeah that small TV show with Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox and Matt LeBlanc.
Marta Kauffman created show
Warner Bros. TV Studios bought the show and we thought wow, the stars are aligned this is gonna happen.
We spent a few months in development and then went to pitch at the networks - CBS passed, NBC Passed, HBO Passed, Fox passed, Showtime passed. Then ABC loved it, but eventually passed.
We were shocked, everyone who saw the movie and the pitch loved it and laughed their head off - but yet no one was buying.
Richard and I decided to not get disheartened and concentrate on something else - Together with Darren Darnborough, A british actor and friend, we decided to create a new web series called Andy and Chaz bugger Off To America, about two bumbling crime bothers, who had run away to america to escape a wrong doing and start a new life.
The first episode of Andy And Chaz Bugger Off To America Watch them all on youtube
Wannabe sat on the shelf.
It was nice to see some of the cast members start to get recognition for their talents.
Matt Dallas in Kyle XY
Matt Dallas, who had a small part as one of the dancing contestants became the star of an ABC Family show called "KYLE XY"
Jonathan Dixon in Star Trek
Jonathan Dixon, who played the security guard has been in the star trek remake. Adam Huss has appeared in several mainstream TV shows including NCIS: LA.
Liz Warner in the middle
Elizabeth Warner now hosts one of the biggest radio shows on Indie radio.
Spencer Garrett is unstoppable as a character actor, he is in all the major movies and Tv shows, I think he has something over 300 credits.
Spencer Garrett
But the biggest success was from both Tate Taylor who plays Gunner, the coked out director and Octavia Spencer who plays Lady Chanet Janey Jones. Tate went on to star in Academy award nominated movie "Winter's Bone" and write and direct the Academy award nominated movie "The Help" starring none other than Octavia Spencer, who eventually went on to win the Academy award for best supporting actress in 2012. About four months before the Oscars, I saw them both at a BAFTA screening of the film and we reminisced about "Wannabe" I jokingly asked Octavia where will she put her Oscar when she wins. as it was obvious to me she was a shoe in. I also said that we should release Wannabe now. It's so timely. Tate was robbed by the way both in directing and Screenwriting - He wasn't even nominated. That pissed me off. He so deserved at least a nom.
Academy Award Winner Octavia Spencer and Director of The Help, Tate Taylor.
Both Tate and Octavia slipped quietly off the social media radar, changing their numbers and emails, I guess that's what must be done when you reach that level of success. I look back on what a great time we all had as independent artists making our way through this mostly tough business.
Meanwhile I had been auditioning and making some headway, appearing on some good TV shows, Indie films and stage.
Earlier this year, a film I shot in 2010, called "Return to the Hiding Place" had a distribution screening at Sony Studios, and I invited Darren D from Andy and Chaz to come along, he in turn invited Richard Cambridge, A fellow Brit working in Silicon Valley. Who was launching a platform, a new distribution technology company called ChargePlay. He was at first interested in "Return to the hiding Place" as a demo for the company to launch. As I didn't have the rights and I knew RTTHP had bigger fish to fry, I suggested he take a look at "Wannabe."
A few days later I got a call, Richard loved it and showed it to his colleague Marcus Lovingood and they wanted to make a deal. I couldn't believe it - The movie that has had nine lives.
So here we are today, Wannabe finally gets to be seen. I am so very proud of this film, as it was sure dedication and the coming together of talented artists that made it happen. In the words of Steve Williams, "Success is about the seven P's - Perfect Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance." Count them, yes I know there are six, Steve never said he was a scientist. :-)
In this movie I get to embarrass myself over and over and you know what? if it gets a laugh and people enjoy it, then I'm all for it.
I hope you all enjoy it as much as we had fun making it - Wannabe is released on August 10th, 2012 Exclusively through Facebook.
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