I've Seen That Face ... Somewhere

Since January, I've been watching far too much TV as I sit with my right leg propped on a pillow. Daytime TV is the worst, unless, of course, you are into bitchy women dissing each other on talk shows, bitchy women dissing each other on daytime soaps, endless reruns of 20-year old crime show series, or made-for-TV movies running in a continuous looping format. I DVR night shows as I either fall asleep with the sunset or stay up into the wee hours, when I then have to deal with nighttime TV talk shows with bitchy male hosts dissing women.

I was watching a movie with the actress Something Masterson, who receives flowers from a really young Christian Slater. Masterson is a newly-promoted VP at a financial corp selling an investment package to an elderly gentleman with a British accent. I looked at him, looked again, and thought, hmmmm, I've seen that face ... somewhere, but it looks like the father of the face hidden in the back of my mind.

Then I watched another movie, this time entitled My Baby is Missing, and an elderly, kindly doctor with a slight British accent is trying to calm a patient. I looked again. Yep, I've seen that face ... somewhere, but it looked ... younger.

Last night, I DVR'd a new favorite series, Miami Medical, and had a "NO WAY" moment as I saw the face again, a much younger, much more handsome face, on a much younger man with considerably more hair on the top of the head, dark hair, not aging bald hair. Bingo! I binged the TV show and there he is: (downloaded from the TV show web site with guest star Mike Farrell behind him). It's challenging to believe that this virile young male actor is the same ancient old men I had watched in the other 2 movies, but it is he, complete with the subtle British accent.

Jeremy Northam was born in 1961 and is a classically trained British actor, a much more age appropriate actor in Miami Medical than the other 2 movie roles I remembered. He certainly fooled me in the ancient men make-up. His accent is totally charming, which strikes me funny because I absolutely cannot tolerate an English accent and would never watch House were Hugh Laurie to use his normal speaking voice: nails on a chalkboard!! Northam has an extensive filmography, but not for as many starring roles as he has played the supporting roles.

Miami Medical is a great new TV series, especially last night's episode wherein Dr. Proctor (Northam's role) addresses a room filled with financial donors to convince them to open their wallets. He is uncomfortable until he pulls a domino out of his pocket and uses it as a prop to connect his day before with the need for continued financial support. He speaks about the randomness of so many traumatic events, events that don't just connect victims, but medical providers. He sets the scene for the donors, then asks them one question: which one of the victim dies?

I won't spoil the episode, which you can watch on your computer or catch in an alternate showing, but it is totally engaging, both for the donors sitting on hard chairs and eating dry chicken and the post-surgery knee patient sitting on her chaise with her knee propped on a pillow.