Search results for ""author neil daniels""

Martin Freeman is one of Britain's best-loved actors. After being cast in bit parts and cameos - such as The Bill (his first onscreen role) and the beat-boxing Ricky C in Ali G Indahouse - he made his big break as Tim Canterbury in The Office. Freeman was later cast, among other roles, as the mundane character of Arthur Dent in the sci-fi movie adaption of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and, labelled an 'everyday' bloke by journalists, began to run the risk of being stereotyped. However, in 2010 he completely turned his career around when he took on the role of Dr John Watson in the incredibly successful Sherlock. His biggest role followed as he portrayed Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit trilogy and, in recent years, Freeman has shown a dark edge to his thespian skills by portraying Richard III in the West End and Lester Nygaard in the critically acclaimed US drama series Fargo. An intensely private man, Freeman is in a long-term relationship with the actress Amanda Abbington, whom he met on the set of the 2000 Channel 4 TV movie Men Only and who played his on-screen partner in Sherlock. The Unexpected Adventures of Martin Freeman explores the rise to fame of this unassuming actor, how he has successfully managed to avoid the pitfalls of stardom, and how he has become one of the greatest actors of his generation. It is a must-read for any fan.

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Iron Maiden first appeared at the Reading Rock Festival in 1980 when Paul Di'Anno was fronting the band and Dennis Stratton was on guitar. They appeared second on the bill to UFO on the second night. Undoubtedly for Maiden's Steve Harris there was nothing but respect for the headliners with UFO's Pete Way being one of Harris's biggest bass guitar influences. Also on the bill that day were two future Iron Maiden members - Bruce Dickinson, then the lead singer with Samson, and guitarist Janick Gers of White Spirit, who were brought in as a replacement band. By 1982 when Maiden returned to Reading it was naturally as the headlining act on the Saturday evening. The band had gone through significant changes to the line-up, most notably with Bruce Dickinson now fronting them, which coincided with their rise in popularity. Incredibly it would be another twenty-three years before Maiden returned to Reading, by which time they were in their third decade and had become the undisputed giants of metal. Their longevity also stood out as most of the other major acts that performed over the three days had only appeared on the scene over the previous few years and none could boast a back catalogue quite like Maiden's. With a large collection of photos by Alan Perry and memorabilia from the gigs plus narrative from Iron Maiden biographer Neil Daniels, this book is a wonderful celebration of Maiden's unforgettable appearances at this British institution.

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