I’m delighted at the popularity of John Standring among the animated gif requests. Sparkhouse is a powerful mini-series and even as a supporting player, Richard Armitage really shines in his pivotal role. In an interview, he said it was the first time he had auditioned in character. It really paid off. I don’t believe he’s played a similar character before or since.
Today’s animated gif request comes to us at the request of antoniaromera. She is very active on twitter and is now a new blogger! Her posts are in Spanish, but with Google Translate, you can enjoy her thoughts. If you comment in English, she will respond in kind. 🙂 Here’s the link to her blog: http://yqueibayoacontar.wordpress.com. Antonia is also a big Jane Austen fan!
Screencap courtesy of RichardArmitageNet.Com
It pleases me a great deal that Richard Armitage became a leading man in television. I hope his career follows the same pattern in movies!
Antonia suggested the hug scene which was well-matched to her caption “Teddy Bear Standring.” How very apt! I’d never thought of it before but John Standring definitely brings to mind a teddy bear now that the idea has been planted in my head. 😉
Thank you ever so much for your participation in this project, Antonia. I feel very fortunate to have “met” you online even though we live on different continents!
Here is your animated gif:
I’m so glad I finally watched Sparkhouse so I could see first-hand what all the fuss was about! 🙂
bccmee's Richard Armitage Vids & Graphics 
Hi Bccmee!
I love this gif scene! John Standring is another of my favorite’s of RA’s roles. He’s a standout! Ha!
Cheers! Grati ;->
Hey GratianaDS90! Thanks so much for your comment. By the way, I love the caption game on your blog!
Thank you for another lovely gif Bccmee! Gracias Antonia por la idea y JS 🙂
Yes, John Standring is a very different characters from all he has played before or since, and it shows his range as an actor even early in his career.
@Faboamanto: Very good point. As an actor, RA has a very wide range. I hope that serves him well in his blossoming movie career.
That’s a lovely gif .. his little smile .. glad you got round to seeing Sparkhouse at last, don’t you just want to cuddle him ? …… 🙂
@Angela: Indeed I do want to cuddle that big teddy bear of a man! I’m talking about him as if he’s real, because RA did such a great job. 🙂
Sweet John Standring, I watched this for the first time in May this year and Instantly fell for the gentle giant. Richard wilh his natural hair colour too I presume.
Cant look at sausages in the same way anymore though!
Thanks B and Antonia
@mersguy: LOL re: the sausage! That was an entertaining scene. Now I’m surprised nobody requested that for an animated gif! Too late now though…maybe next time…. 😛
Thanks, thanks, thanks. I LOVE IT!!! I had dreamed few days ago with an amazing hug from John Stranding. I don‘t know why but it true. He is so tender…
Thanks for your kind, sweet and beautiful mention. *mwwwah* X-)
PD: Felicitaciones x tu blog! 😀
@antoniaromera: What a lovely dream to have! ♥ Did it feel real?
By the way, I look forward to reading your blog for a long time.
It was a pleasure and a joy to work on this animated gif together! *HUGS*
Do they have those teddy bears in TOYS´R`US? LOL:
Lovely lovely gif.
@Alfie: ROTFL! I have long thought that virtually any RA character would make a great action figure, and now I’m thinking teddy bears too! 😀
Great choice!
@servetus: Thanks for your comment and support!
I want to hug this JS Teddy Bear, please!
Thanks bccmee for sharing!
@grendel’s mum: He is eminently huggable! And wow, your blog is really a great clearinghouse for Hobbit news. Thanks also for posting my animated gifs! *HUG*
Welcome to the blogosphere, Antonia and thanks for suggesting this lovely hug gif to bccmee (our personal RA genius). John Standring was sweetness itself.
@Elaine: I second your welcome to Antonia’s entrance into the wonderful world of blogging. There’s always room for more! For instance, your lovely photography blog is a regular stop for me. 🙂 Thanks so much for your comment and support!
This is my other favorite scene from Sparkhouse. JS as a bear, I think it’s a great comparison 😉
Thank you girls 🙂
@Ania: JS looks so cuddly! Thanks for your comment. 😀
Ah! John Standring , one of my favorite character. Teddy bear is perfectly appropriate to him , I keep the expression. In this scene he smiles and it’s not every day in Sparkhouse. I love when John smiles. Thank you antoniaromera and Bccmee.
@Lady Prisca: It’s really rare for any of RA’s characters to smile, LOL! I agree that the “teddy bear” expression is a perfect fit. I’ll always think of John Standring that way from now on!
Richard’s beauty shone through in this wonderful role. He put so much warmth into the character you couldn’t help but fall in love with him as soon as you saw him…And isn’t great that we come from all four corners of the world but we still have one thing in common….the language barrier is no problem…we just want him to be our Teddy Bear!!!
@jules: John Standring’s looks did not appeal to me until after I watched Sparkhouse hehe. But now I think he’s lovely because of his personality. He seems so real to me too.
Just last night I was talking to my sister on the phone and I said how much it delighted me that RA fans have such camaraderie across the borders. United under King Richard, LOL!
I couldn’t have put it better myself…I would love to be united under King Richard…giggles…
Oh yes please Jules!!! giggles…. then faints
“camaraderie accross the borders”
Absolutely , and it’s a warm feeling. I vote for United under King Richard!
Very well said jules. I totally agree with all you have said in this post.
Thank you Bccmee and Antonia!
At least he could try to fulfill these innocent wishes! We just want to hug him,right?:):)
@Joanna: Thank you for your comment! 😀
The guilelessness, the sincerity, the tenderness that you infer is all in his face. He doesn’t need to say a word. He is a brilliant artist. Thanks Bccmee 🙂
@Pamela: Well-said! John Standring is all those things.
Antonia, you are really a romantic girl!
Thank you for the sweet glance and hug from John, BCC and Antonia.
@Carla: It truly is a touching scene!
Lovely gift, the look he gives Carol when he tells her he accepts is so sweet, all you want to do is hug him! Great line Antonia!
JS is a very hugable character, just like Harry IMO (although Harry’s n°1 strength is his smile).
OML 🙂
@onemorelurker: I would hug most any RA character, although I prefer the good guys like John Standring and Harry Kennedy! 😀
Love! Love John Standring! 🙂 *hugs all around!*
@phylly3: Aw thanks! Cheers!
Definitely teddy bearish! Winnie the Pooh? Not much honey for John Standring, except through this lovely gif!
@fitzg: LOL! John Standring will make a good Pooh bear!
Mmmmm… ♥John Standring♥ Many thanks to Bcc and Antonia!!!
@Dhana: Ha, I thought you might show up here. 😉 Thanks so much for stopping by!
another adorable “John” for Richard to play…………………
@Meryl: I wonder how many more times RA will play a character named “John!”
Can’t imagine anyone writing a “dear John” letter to any of RA’s John characters.
@Elaine: LOL! Indeed, they’d be out of their minds. At least hang on to him for conjugal visits. 😉
oh lordy, conjugal visits…….because he’s been a bad boy………? lol
@Elaine: Well there are some good boy Johns and some bad boy Johns. Take your pick!
I like they way you think Elaine! I’d take ’em all, good or bad!!
@Elaine: By the way, I added a link from my blog to yours. 🙂
Thanks Bcc e Antonia,
I Love John!
Thank you, Ana. Congratulations on your new blog. 🙂
What a lovely and tender suggestion Antonia! And such fantastic result Bcc! Thank you both for, at the age of 45, making me look at teddy bears and SIGH!!! Really?!?!? (not appropriate).
Anyway, I think I should leave here a small yet well-deserved comment on Antonia Romera’s blog. As a native speaker of spanish I can tell you that she is an EXCELLENT blog writter!! Google translator makes her no justice at all. 🙂
@Ana Cristina: Thank you so much for your kind words of support! John Standring makes the perfect teddy bear for girls of all ages. 😉
Although I am not fluent in Spanish, I’m sure you are very right about Antonia’s blog. She expresses herself very well in English so I can believe her Spanish blog is most excellent! I’m tempted to learn Spanish better so I can enjoy more of my fellow fans’ writings. 🙂
We’re about 500 million speakers all over the world (3rd most spoken language after chinese and english) so you are very welcome to join us 😉
@Ana Cristina: Hehe, perhaps you can teach me Spanish! I have studied it but forgotten most of what I learned. 🙂
“Bloody ‘ell, Carol.”
I loved this part. I kinda shrieked” Yes” too, but for a different reason. x)
@Lady Rose: RA has that effect on me too! I sometimes find myself yelling at the screen, LOL!