Stephen Moyer Movies
Brentwood, England, native Stephen Moyer distinguished himself by coupling an almost Greco-Roman look and figure with elements of refined sophistication abetted by -- and frequently attributed to -- his British origins. Something of a series mainstay in the U.K., this St. Martin's School alumnus turned up as a regular on English programs including Conjugal Rites, The Grand, and Castles, before scoring a significant crossover success with his turn as Prouix in Philip Kaufman's Marquis de Sade drama Quills (2000). Additional Hollywood projects varied tremendously in genre and overall quality, and included the Keira Knightley-headlined, Disney-produced fantasy-adventure Princess of Thieves (2001); director Jon Avnet's atmospheric, war-themed miniseries Uprising (2001); and the Aussie thriller Restraint (2007). Moyer achieved broadest exposure on American television opposite Debra Messing in the romantic comedy miniseries The Starter Wife (2007) and as enigmatic, alluring vampire Bill Compton on Alan Ball's gothic HBO drama series True Blood (2008). That same year, Moyer reteamed with Avnet for a small supporting role in the Al Pacino thriller 88 Minutes. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
Jon Avnet directs Al Pacino in the thriller 88 Minutes. Pacino plays university professor Jack Gramm, who occasionally assists the FBI in matters of forensic psychiatry. His recent testimony against a freshly convicted criminal seems to be the reason he has gotten a scary phone call informing him he will die in 88 minutes. As with the like-minded thriller D.O.A. (both the original and the remake), the protagonist must use his skills in order to track down who has hatched this evil plot and hopefully prevent his own demise. Alicia Witt and Leelee Sobieski co-star as the professor's star students. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Al Pacino, Alicia Witt, (more)
True Blood chronicles the backwoods Louisiana town of Bon Temps...where vampires have emerged from the coffin, and no longer need humans for their fix. Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) works as a waitress at the rural bar Merlotte's. Though outwardly a typical young woman, she keeps a dangerous secret: she has the ability to hear the thoughts of others. Her situation is further complicated when the bar gets its first vampire patron -- 173-year old Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) -- and the two outsiders are immediately drawn to each other. Delivering the best of what audiences have come to expect from creator and executive producer Alan Ball (American Beauty, Six Feet Under), True Blood is a dark and sexy tale that boldly delves into the heart -- and the neck -- of the Deep South.
- Starring:
- Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, (more)
Based on the 2005 bestselling novel by Gigi Levangie Grazer, the six-part miniseries The Starter Wife starred former Will & Grace leading lady Debra Messing as Molly Kagan, an archetypal "Hollywood wife" who for ten years had enjoyed the perks and privileges of being married to powerful studio executive Kenny Kagan (Peter Jacobson). All of this changed drastically when Kenny dumped his spouse for a much-younger pop singer named Shoshanna (Trilby Glover), adding insult to injury by informing Molly that their marriage was through via cell-phone. Having carefully timed the breakup to coincide with the expiration of the couple's pre-nuptual agreement, Kenny was able to escape without providing Molly with a huge monetary settlement, leaving our benumbed heroine high and dry. Also, Molly was now "persona non grata" in her Brentwood community, with many old doors (especially those on stores and restaurants) being literally closed in her face, and such fair-weather friends as Cricket Stewart (Miranda Otto) and Joan McAllister (wonderfully played as a self-hating lush by Judy Lewis) conspicuously unavailable. Vowing to start life anew for the sake of herself and her teenaged daughter, Molly relocated to Malibu, where she found a new best friend in the form of airheaded Malibu gate guard Lavender Caraway (Arika Noni Rose). She also entered into a brace of tempestuous relationships with aging, moody movie producer Lou Manahan (Joe Mantegna) and handsome but untrustworthy beachcomber Sam Knight (Stephen Moyer). All of the episodes were scripted by Josann McGibbon and Sara Parriott and directed by Jon Avnet--and curiously, all were filmed in Australia rather than "La-la Land". Making its USA Network debut on May 31, 2007 with a two-hour episode, The Starter Wife ran on a weekly, hourly basis until June 28 of that year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Debra Messing, Joe Mantegna, (more)
A pair of desperate fugitives takes a hostage whose dark past gives him a distinct advantage over his captors in this twisting thriller starring former television Tarzan Travis Fimmel. Dale and Ron foolishly thought that by taking a hostage they could increase their chances of survival, but when would-be pawn Andrew takes an unexpected liking to the criminal couple, it doesn't take long for them to realize that they may have just made a fatal mistake. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Travis Fimmel, Teresa Palmer, (more)
Two talented young people head to California looking for fame, but find love along the way in this romantic drama. Luke (Steven Strait) is a struggling rock musician who has decided to leave New York City for the seemingly greener pastures of Los Angeles. A few days before he leaves, he spots a beautiful girl on the subway who gives him a big smile, giving him brief second thoughts. However, Luke heads out to L.A. anyway, and after months of scuffling lands a gig -- and sees the beautiful girl, Brier (Pell James), in the audience. Brier is an aspiring actress who, like Luke, came to L.A. to boost her career; she's taking acting classes at a well-respected workshop, and has landed a less-than-glamorous but lucrative deodorant commercial. Luke and Brier strike up a friendship, though it's obvious he's interested in something deeper; as Luke tries to score a record deal, Brier and her best friend Clea (Ashlee Simpson) try to spruce up his image and create some buzz about his music. But as Luke falls hard for Brier, she develops greater qualms about getting involved with a musician who will spend half his life on the road, and their shared desire for that big break may be the thing that keeps them apart. Undiscovered also stars Carrie Fisher, Kip Pardue, and Fisher Stevens. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pell James, Steven Strait, (more)
Keira Knightley stars in this made-for-TV Disney adventure that puts a spin on an often-told story. The film picks up years after the "known" events of the Robin Hood myth, centering on Robin's daughter, Gwyn, played by Knightley. As Maid Marian has passed away and Robin Hood (Stuart Wilson) is perpetually away battling in the Crusades, Gwyn has lived much of her life alone. She has grown up to be a strong-willed young woman with a talent for archery, much like her father. Her only friend is the sweet but plain Froderick (Del Synnott), who clearly is in love with her. Upon the death of Richard the Lionhearted, her father returns to see that the proper man takes Richard's place as king of England. But Robin is quickly foiled and imprisoned by the villainous Sheriff of Nottingham (Malcolm McDowell) and Prince John (Jonathan Hyde). It is then up to Gwyn to save the day. She must complete Robin's mission to find and protect the young Prince Philip (Stephen Moyer), who has just returned from exile in France to claim the throne -- not an easy task since he has decided to forsake his true identity and is traveling anonymously. Though she does fortuitously cross paths with the prince, she is not aware of his identity for much of the film. A romantic spark budding between them, they must find the Merry Men and join forces to free her father from the tortures of the Tower of London before the evil Prince John ascends to the thrown and brings England to ruin. Princess of Thieves originally aired on March 11, 2001, as a part of the ABC anthology The Wonderful World of Disney. ~ Dana Rowader, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keira Knightley, Stephen Moyer, (more)
Uprising is based on the true story of the Jewish Fighting Organization, a courageous band of youthful Polish guerrillas and freedom fighters who refused to knuckle under to the Nazis during World War II. Led by schoolteacher Mordechai Anielewicz (Hank Azaria), the organization comes into being as the Warsaw Jewish ghetto is being systemically decimated and shipped off to the Treblinka death camp by the German occupational forces. From April 19 to May 16, 1943, Anielewicz' followers staged a valiant uprising, which -- though ultimately unsuccessful in stopping the Nazi "final solution" juggernaut -- inflicted an enormous amount of damage upon the enemy and enabled hundreds of Polish Jews to escape the gas ovens and crematoriums. Much of the story is based upon the eyewitness testimony of surviving freedom fighter Simha "Kazik" Rotem, portrayed in the film by Stephen Moyer. Director Jon Avnet brilliantly combines newly filmed scenes with digitally refashioned archival footage of the actual uprising. Filmed in Bratisla, Slovakia, and boasting an all-star cast, Uprising was shown in two-hour installments on November 4 and 5, 2001, over the NBC network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leelee Sobieski, Hank Azaria, (more)
The Marquis de Sade was a man who liked to stir up trouble, at a time when his native France was in a state of tremendous political turmoil, and this historical drama examines how much controversy he could cause even under repressive circumstances. In the aftermath of the French Revolution, the Marquis de Sade (Geoffrey Rush) manages to narrowly escape execution during the Reign of Terror, and instead is sentenced to the Charenton Asylum for the Insane. Coulmier (Joaquin Phoenix), the priest who heads the asylum, is sympathetic to the political machinations that have put the Marquis in his care, and allows him not only to write what he pleases, but to stage theater pieces using the other patients as actors. Royer-Collard (Michael Caine), a tyrannical doctor overseeing the mental institutions of Napoleonic France, is as outraged as the emperor when he reads Justine, a scabrous volume the Marquis penned while an inmate at Charenton, and he demands that de Sade be stopped. But Royer-Collard soon learns that stopping the Marquis from writing is not so simple; when de Sade's quills and ink are taken from him, he uses wine and even his own blood to write his stories. When these options are no longer available, he dictates his work with the help of Madeline (Kate Winslet), a laundry girl working at the asylum, who is fascinated by the notorious de Sade, though she declines his frequent requests to satisfy his notorious sexual appetites. Based on the play by Doug Wright (who also penned the screenplay), Quills was directed by Philip Kaufman, who previously documented the line between eroticism and literature in Henry and June and The Unbearable Lightness of Being. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Geoffrey Rush, Kate Winslet, (more)
- 2000
Based on a novel by Catherine Cookson, this period drama concerns Freddie Musgrave (Colin Buchanan), who, as a young man, fell in with a band of criminals and made a career as a smuggler. With the help of Maggie Hewitt (Clare Higgins), a respectable businesswoman who fell in love with him, Freddie was able to leave his life of crime behind him and has become a trusted employee of Maggie's firm. However, a face from Freddie's past -- and a cache of rare gems -- could destroy the new life Freddie has spent nearly two decades building. Produced for British television, The Secret also features Hannah Yelland, Stephen Moyer, and Marlene Sidaway. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Colin Buchanan
A trio of stand-up comics discover that success is no laughing matter in this comedy-drama. Danny, the manager of a night club in London, makes it his business to find the best and brightest "cutting edge" comedy talent, and thinks that he's found a real prize in Alex (Suki Webster), an attractive woman with a background in improvisational theater who has a keen gift for humor. Alex is encouraged to take a look at Jay and Gus (Neil Mullarkey and David Schneider), a pair of performers who've been doing a "twin" act for some time. Alex's style bounces off Jay and Gus' material perfectly, and soon the threesome are rising stars on the British comedy circuit. But their offstage lives are hardly as harmonious as their club act. Both Jay and Gus are infatuated with Alex, and she's already involved with an artist -- and Gus is having a fling with a model. Meanwhile, romantic frustrations and dueling egos lead the three into infighting and drugs, threatening to derail their success almost as quickly as they began to pick up steam. Comic Act was directed by Jack Hazan, best known for his semi-documentary look at The Clash, Rude Boy. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1997
In this drama based on Hal Foster's long-running comic strip, Prince Valiant and his cohorts engage in medieval adventure and romance. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Moyer, Katherine Heigl, (more)
- 1996
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In acquiescence to the wish of the Prior of Shrewsbury Abbey to have the bones of St. Winifred on display, a group of monks trek to Wales to dig up her remains. The monks are met with great hostility that escalates when a man opposed to their excavation is found dead. The monks are held under suspicion, and things are further complicated by a young monk's insistence that he is seeing visions of St. Winifred. Although Cadfael (Derek Jacobi) exposes the monk's vision as fraudulent, he withholds the truth behind the monk's lies. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
