Actors - The Lion in Winter

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	Actors - The Lion in Winter

The Lion in Winter is a 1966 Broadway play by James Goldman. Goldman also adapted the play to a film directed by Anthony Harvey. The film debuted on October 30, 1968 (December 29, 1968 London premiere) starring Peter O'Toole (reprising his role from Becket) as King Henry II of England and Katharine Hepburn as his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine.

The story is set during Christmas 1183 at Henry's château (castle) and primary residence in Chinon, Anjou, part of the Angevin Empire in present-day France. It centres on the conflict between the estranged couple and their adult sons and heirs to the throne: Prince Richard the Lionhearted (the future King Richard I of England, played by Sir Anthony Hopkins in his film debut), Prince John (the future King John, played by Nigel Terry), and Geoffrey Duke of Britanny (played by John Castle). Timothy Dalton also debuts as King Philip II of France, the son of Eleanor's ex-husband.

The story is a work of fiction: there was no Christmas Court at Chinon in 1183, although there had been a Christmas court at Caen in 1182 that brought family members together. None of the dialogue or actions are historic; however the outcomes of the characters and the background of the story are historically accurate.

Hepburn won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role. The musical score by John Barry also won an Oscar, as did Goldman's adaptation of his play.

One unusual note of trivia regarding the movie was the longevity of its cast. The film was made in 1968 yet no major cast member died until Katharine Hepburn in 2003, thirty five years later.

A television production of The Lion in Winter was first shown on May 23, 2004. It starred Patrick Stewart and Glenn Close, and was directed by Andrei Konchalovsky.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for The Lion in Winter ]

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