Pierre Bourdaud, a French actor based in Beijing and previous The Mighty Dragon interviewee joined me recently on the podcast to catch up.

I was keen to hear how his career is unfolding in China and how he adapts his acting style to the local culture.

It’s hard to believe two years have passed since we last spoke. In our conversation, Pierre shares his experiences navigating the unpredictable and unstable film industry in the wake of the pandemic, and how it has directly impacted his career.

Having lived as an expat in China for over 20 years, Pierre offers fascinating insights into the importance of networking in China and contrasts it with his experiences in his native France.

As a dedicated father and husband, he also opens up about balancing family life with his career, and shares his aspirations for the future.

Is a return to France on the horizon, or has he found a lasting home abroad? Tune in to find out.

Ian Attard

The Mighty Dragon has added yet another Bridgerton interview to the collection! I was delighted that actor, Ian Attard, joined me on the podcast to talk about his character, Nelson, and what it’s like being part of the smash-hit Netflix series.

Ian talks about his research for the character Nelson, Anthony’s devoted valet and right hand man. He mentions what its like working with Jonathan Bailey who portrays Anthony Bridgerton and life on set in the glamourous Regency Era.

Ian discusses his acting inspirations, how he got into acting and his character preparation. Ian is a versatile actor, he’s appeared in Supacell, EastEnders, Belgravia, The Fall of the Krays and, of course, Bridgerton. We touch upon what he learned as an actor from these various experiences.

Finally, how would Ian see himself in the Regency Era, would he be a noble or pauper? Find out below…

What happened to Bruce the Shark? The famous, temperamental mechanical contraption that spawned a new suspense style in horror films. Bruce the Shark went from film star, theme park attraction, junkyard item to retirement. But was he doomed to the scrap heap? Or, did he have one last bite at film history? WATCH - Robert Shaw - Explosive Moments on the set of JAWS https://youtu.be/hK0MxtmdNhQ?si=tfB-p7t5Tzr3aseA SUBSCRIBE TO THE MIGHTY DRAGON CHANNEL https://www.youtube.com/@TheMightyDragon OTHER WAYS WE CAN CONNECT https://www.instagram.com/themightydragonblog/ https://themightydragon.blog/ #brucetheshark #sharkinjaws #jawstrivia Clips used on The Mighty Dragon are under the YouTube Fair Use policy that copyright-protected material under certain circumstances can be re-used without the permission of the copyright owner.

Cool Beans Comedy – a fantastic collection of comedians making waves at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival!

Cool Beans Comedy includes some incredible talents: Renee Pezzotta, Suzanne Luna, Corey Martin Craig, and John Zeno. Don’t miss out on this unique act which will take Edinburgh by storm this year. Ticket links and all things Cool Beans are in the Resources below.

Notably, Renee Pezzotta has been interviewed previously on The Mighty Dragon, she’s Smokey in the new series of “Frasier.” It was a pleasure to get to know the rest of the Cool Beans gang and learn about their unique comedy writing process and the special twist they have planned for their act this year.

I have a lot of respect for comedians and comic writers, they have the hardest job in the world… to make people laugh…

RESOURCES

• Grab your tickets HERE for the Edinburgh Festival
• Cool Beans website – get involved!
• EdFringe app
• Cool Beans – Linktr.ee
• Renee’s previous The Mighty Dragon interview! Behind the scenes of Frasier!

Robert Shaw's Explosive Moments on the Set of Jaws: A Case Study

What’s the perfect summer movie? JAWS, of course! In my opinion, JAWs is one of the greatest films of all time but it was born from a volatile environment, who was it who said - Chaos is the fuel that ignites the fire within, pushing us towards greatness. With never-changing script re-writes, cast fallouts and mechanical failures in the sea off Marthas Vineyard its a wonder this film was ever made. Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece led to a new style of suspense in film, which was quite by accident. Where the filmmakers had to come up with creative ways to solve Bruce the shark’s constant malfunctioning - this just shows that when you are faced with failure, greatness can emerge. I’ve been a JAWS fan all these years, I have always been fascinated with this film, it’s possibly one of the few movies that’s better than the book. I’ve come back to it time and time again, may be for me it take me back to my childhood in the 1970’s where it was a ‘treat’ to watch this masterpiece, my eyes would always be shielded when the two alpha sharks, Quint and Bruce would face off. My top 3 films were all made in the 1970’s - so is there a case for childhood films staying with you for the long term. So, let’s now go to Amity Island where a shark is terrorising the local population who are soon to be celebrating a bumper tourist season for July 4 and a ruthless Mayor who will do anything to make sure the celebrations go ahead until his own son is nearly taken by the shark itself. Our heroes of the story Brodie, Chief of Police - the classic, unwilling hero, a New Yorker getting used to trivial crime on an island, his fear of water which he needs to overcome to defeat the shark. Quint, the belligerent, old-school and difficult but skilled Captain. and Hooper, the rich, intelligent young marine biologist who brings with him modern gadgetry - the perfect antagonist to Quint. This set up is PURE DYNAMITE. All the actors in the film portrayed their part perfectly. But none more so, than British acting legend Robert Shaw. Born on August 9, 1927, in Lancashire, England he originally turned down the role of Quint - he famously said ‘JAWS was not a novel it was a story written by a committee, a piece of sh*t’. Lee Marvin and Sterling Hayden could not step up to the role. Shaw was perfect for the part. Robert Shaw, known for his exceptional acting talent but also for causing significant problems on set. Here are some of the key issues he caused during the production of "Jaws":

Dominic Coleman

Today on the Mighty Dragon podcast, we are thrilled to welcome Dominic Coleman, the talented actor known for his role as Lord Cowper in Bridgerton. Dominic joined the beloved series in its second season, portraying the patriarch of the Cowper family and father to Cressida.

Beyond Bridgerton, Dominic has recently appeared in high-profile films such as Wonka and Napoleon. In this exclusive interview, we dive into his experiences on these sets and explore the breadth of his acting career. We discuss his preparation process for various roles and the challenges he has encountered along the way.

Dominic also shares invaluable advice for aspiring actors, making this episode a must-listen for anyone interested in the world of acting.

Anthony J. Abraham

This week’s guest is actor Anthony J. Abraham. From Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan to Bad Education and now to the latest offering in the Star Wars Universe, The Acolyte. Anthony’s career is forging ahead and I must say it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.

Anthony is currently starring in The Acolyte, as Fillik, a meknek – which, as Wookieepedia explains

“Mekneks were freelance mechanics who did repairs on the outer hulls of starships. During the High Republic Era, Republic law dictated that only droids could perform this dangerous work. This meant that mekneks were an illegal profession.[1] During that same era, Osha Aniseya and Fillik worked as mekneks on a freighter for the Trade Federation.[2]” Wookieepedia

With The Acolyte now streaming on Disney+, it was a great time to catch up with Anthony, who is busy filming overseas. I’m so grateful he found the time for this quick chat to discuss his career!

Mark Wingett

After my recent interview with Maria Austin, where we discussed Mercy, a film about life as a pig in a slaughterhouse. I decided to reach out to her co-star, Mark Wingett, who portrayed the slaughterman.

Mark, a familiar face on our screens for over 20 years as The Bill’s Jim Carver, got his first break as Dave in the British cult classic movie, Quadrophenia. Dave was Jimmy’s best friend, the one with the cool hat who ultimately betrays Jimmy at his lowest point by stealing his girl.

As a first job, this is quite an achievement. Mark was one of the youngest in the cast, he was just 17 and fresh out of the National Youth Theatre when he was cast. Now with a career spanning over 40 years, it was an honour to talk to this much accomplished actor about his career and dip into his personal life which involves scuba diving and biking with the Tokyo mods!

Mark reminisces about his first day on set and how many egg sandwiches he had to eat! We talk about the success behind the movie, Pete Townshend’s genius musical score and the admirable vision of the director, Franc Roddam. A director who took chances when selecting the actors and stuck to his interpretation of the story.

The bond between cast members is still as strong as ever, with Mark describing them as family. The cast have all had such illustrious careers including Phil Davis, one of my favourite actors. At the time of filming, Sting was launching his music career and Ray Winstone had made his third film in that year.

Mark mentions that Ray Winstone was always destined for greatness, I can’t help think that happened to Mark too.