Oh Willoughby Greg Wise! He’s handsome. He’s British. He’s sensitive (in my imagination). He helped Emma Thompson rub Kenneth Branagh’s face in it*. He’s older now, but he’s just gotten more distinguished. Please allow me to wax poetic about Greg Wise!
The Buccaneers (1995)
First, he’s almost the BEST BOYFRIEND EVER in The Buccaneers (1995). He’s into POETRY. He understands about the beyondness of things! He loves England and his country house! And, he’s the first guy to understand that Nan St. George isn’t the child that everyone else thinks she is. Okay, so it doesn’t help that he takes off for South America when he should continue to woo Nan, but it’s so he can make money and come back and be all principled in parliament, so we’ll cut him some slack.
Guy Thwaite, your dream English boyfriend, in The Buccaneers (1995).
Discussing poetry with Nan, whose fabulousness he gets, while everyone else thinks she’s a child.
And, he’s willing to give it all up for his woman!
Sense and Sensibility (1995)
And then there’s Sense and Sensibility (1995). Again, he’s not just hot, he’s INTO POETRY. What young woman doesn’t want a poet for a beau? Even better, he can rescue you on his white steed when you need rescuing. He thinks you’re fabulous. He flouts convention. He shows you a good time. Oh, and he’s rich!
Willing to brave rain and sleet and snow to rescue you and your delicate ankle.
He can tell you he loves you without words.
He makes you laugh!
And he’s got those sideburns.
Yes, so there’s the small problem of him throwing you over for an heiress when push comes to shove, but we know that he’s going to regret that decision for the rest of his life.
See? He’s regretting it already.
Horatio Hornblower: Loyalty (2003)
Luckily for us, Wise puts on uniform and joins the Horatio Hornblower series for #3, “Loyalty.” He plays Major Côtard and helps Hornblower spy on those nasty French — but who cares when there’s all those buttons to fondle:
And shiny silver braid, and a sword with a tassel, and and…
Cranford (2007-09)
In Cranford (2007-9), Wise plays Sir Charles Maulver, the local businessman/entrepreneur who plans to bring the railroad to a small town. Okay, so maybe his character is a bit too on the financial side of things and doesn’t have much poetry, but I’ll forgive him once I see his beautiful, silvery sideburns:
Sir Charles Maulver in Cranford.
The man knows how to wear a top hat!
He’s rumored to be joining The Crown (the BBC’s in-production TV series about the life of Elizabeth II) as Lord Louis Mountbatten, the queen’s cousin. So hopefully we’ll get to keep a watch on those silvery sideburns!
* Kenneth Branagh left Emma Thompson for Helena Bonham Carter, but in my opinion, Thompson gets the last laugh as she then hooked up with Wise, 7 years younger than she. The two are still together, married, and with children!
Greg Wise is Y U M M Y! He is smart, savy and faithful. Good choice for MCM. What about Aafrin on INDIAN SUMMERS as MCM candidate?
Mmm, wet Willoughby. Scrummy. Lucky Emma. He likes his lady brainy. Quite right about Aafrin–that sculpted face… Consider, also, Ralph.