News Archive 1997
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29 December 1997An episode of Brookside featuring Anna (the one when Trevor's body was dug up from under the patio) was shown on Channel 4 last Saturday as part of an evening of "viewers' choice" programmes. Good taste, viewers! Sorry for being unable to remind you of this earlier, being temporarily offline at the time. I'll confess that this was the first time I'd seen it myself — I dislike all soaps, so avoid them whenever possible. 14 December 1997The news section of Anna's official site has just been updated following her return from the States. 24 November 1997There's some good and bad news today. After a brief visit to LA and New York, Anna has now returned home to start filming Rogue Trader (see the entry from 28 October for details). It is with a heavy heart that I have to report that she has had her gorgeous tresses cropped and dyed blonde in the style of the character she plays. It's not as severe as Demi Moore's crop for the film GI Jane, but comes as just as much of a shock to the old system nonetheless. I mean, what's wrong with a wig?? I know I have a hair fetish, but I defy anyone to tell me that she suits short blonde hair better than the flowing locks that we're used to. That said, the only picture I have of her (so far) sporting the new style is very poor quality, so the new look may not be that bad. I for one am praying that she has done this solely for the part and that we'll see her 'crowning glory' fully restored over the next few months. I'm sure it's more practical, in an easier to wash and dry sort of way, but the shape of Anna's face really suits being framed with long hair. And, sexist or not, I hereby assert that long hair is just so much more feminine. So there! 28 October 1997Remember the scandal of Barings, the Bank which crashed with losses of £800 million thanks largely to the activities of derivatives trader Nick Leeson? Anna is to play Leeson's wife in a new movie dramatisation of the story entitled Rogue Trader. The film stars Ewan (Trainspotting) McGregor as Leeson, and filming is scheduled to commence next month. 21 October 1997Anna's official site has just had another update. Note that the URL for her Site has recently changed to http://www.netshopuk.co.uk/annafriel/, and all links have now been updated to reflect this. The old URL (http://www.redbox.co.uk/anna_friel/) is still working at present, so now would be a good time to update your own bookmarks. In addition to the usual set of replies to the mail messages she's received over the past few weeks there are also several references to most of the long-awaited new film and TV projects. No release dates as such, but all seem to be in the pipeline for distribution or broadcast during 1998. You may reflect, as I did, that in 1996 we were told to expect The Tribe in 1997. Oh well, just keep telling yourself it will be worth the wait when (if???) it finally arrives! 3 October 1997Anna breaks away from her TV and film rôles to make her début on the stage this weekend in a production of Look, Europe! at the Almeida Theatre in London on Sunday 5 October. She co-stars with Harold Pinter and Roger Lloyd Pack (Trigger from the classic BBC comedy Only Fools and Horses) in this real-life story about a political prisoner — journalist Faraj Sarkoohi — who is currently on trial in Iran on a spying charge. Anna plays Sarkoohi's assistant who, it is alleged, had an affair with her boss. The real life character she plays has been arrested and imprisoned charged with adultery, the penalty for which in Iran is stoning to death. Sadly the play is on for one night only and was sold out long before news of the event reached the Homage Page. It's an awkward 500-mile round trip on a Sunday but with a bit of notice I would have liked to have gone. This really is something you'd hope the official site might have mentioned but, aside from it's connection with the lady herself, it continues to frustrate in the lack of information available. If anyone reading this does manage to make it to Islington and would care to submit a review, I'm sure we'd be grateful. Just don't forget your camera! 13 September 1997Anna's Official Page has just been updated with some exclusive photos from her 21st birthday party. 23 August 1997Anna's Official Page has just been updated with more replies to the e-mails that have been sent to her. 7 August 1997Today I thought I'd try pestering the BBC for some news about the long-awaited release of The Tribe. I was most impressed with the speed of the response, but the reply was the hugely uninformative "I am afraid we have no information at present, but please be assured that details will be released to the press by the Drama Press Office at the appropriate time." My money's on "straight to video"! 22 July 1997I missed it myself - not a morning person - but Anna was on the Big Breakfast today on the 'Zig and Zag Gold' spot in a repeat of her appearance from a couple of years back. 15 July 1997Just a couple of days after Anna's 21st birthday the Homage Page has recorded its 50,000th hit. Thanks to everyone who's bothered to submit some news, information, pictures and/or encouragement over the past 10 months. 5 July 1997Anna's official page has just been updated with some more answers to your e-mails. 29 June 1997Lots of press coverage of Anna filming St Ives in Ireland at the moment, so we're now up to 62 new files that have been added during June! They will go online on Anna's 21st birthday, which is now less than 2 weeks away (12th July). 17 June 1997Loads of new piccies for you — over 50 additions to the site so far this month — including the latest scans of Anna modeling clothes from the Littlewoods catalogue (her third series for them) plus SJR's screen grabs from the recent Tales from the Crypt episode. 7 June 1997A couple of the tabloids have covered Anna's breakup with Robbie Williams this week, one devoting half of the front page and all of page three to the story. The most interesting fact to emerge is that Anna is keeping up the relentless work pace and is presently in Ireland filming St. Ives (see the entry from 11 April for more details). My fave quote though goes to the "close friend" of Anna's who, confirming that the take up with the ex-Take That member was little more than a carefree fling, is quoted as saying: "The trouble is when she goes out it's like moths to a flame; the only way she could keep men away is to enter a convent". Absolute nonsense of course — she wouldn't be free of admirers if she were in a convent on the Moon! 27 May 1997If you have cable or satellite don't miss Tales from the Crypt on SKY 2 on Friday 6 June at 10:00pm. The first of the two episodes (entitled "About Face") is the one that Anna recorded at the back end of 1996. 25 May 1997Anna's Official page has just relaunched with it's new look (see the entry for 13 May). If you haven't already bookmarked it yourself you can jump to it from the Homage Page's 'Elsewhere' list of other sites. 14 May 1997Did you catch Anna at Cannes in that dress? Sigh! 10 out of 10 to Hussein Chalayan, the designer of the garment, but 100 out of 10 to Anna for wearing it! 13 May 1997I am told by the chap who's putting it together (or rather, who hasn't been putting it together for the past six months!) that Anna's Official Web site is due for a relaunch next month. I've seen a draft version which, apart from one or two changes to the backgrounds and a decision not to bother with frames, is very similar to the site that has remained unchanged since January. There are a few pix on there but they are thumbnails only — nothing downloadable. I'll let you know when (or if!) anything turns up that's worth looking at. 9 May 1997Keep an eye out for any TV programmes likely to feature reports from the Cannes Film Festival over the next few days - it being the 50th Festival this year there is more coverage than normal. Anna is attending — can we expect an announcement on the long-awaited release date (or maybe even the Premiere) — of The Tribe? This is also prime photo opportunity stuff, so let's hope for plenty of new pictures in the papers and magazines over the coming weeks. Remember, if you spot a nice new pic please SCAN IT FOR ME or MAIL ME pronto so that I can add it to the Homage Page archives for us all to enjoy! 11 April 1997At last we're back onto the sort of news I prefer to report today — Anna taking another step towards her 1997 world domination with two announcements about future projects. The BBC have commissioned a four-part adaptation of one of Charles Dickens' darker works, Our Mutual Friend, with Anna taking the 'romantic lead' role. In addition comes the news that her next film project is the movie version of Robert Louis Stevenson's St. Ives. The film co-stars Richard E. Grant, Michael Gough and Jean Marc Barr, and is set during the Napoleonic war. I have no news of the release or transmission dates at the moment but further details will be posted as they emerge. 10 April 1997All this Anna/Darren/Tracy stuff is getting well out of hand. One paper devoted 3 pages, including their entire front cover, to quotes from the 'new couple'. British tabloid press with nothing better to report on - despite the fact that we're half-way through a General Election campaign! 5 April 1997Anna has been away for a brief break with friends over Easter, so filming for Land Girls, which she has been making since January, may have come to an end. I hope she's had the chance to recharge her batteries — she seems to have been working non-stop on one project or another for months. 1 April 1997Monday evening's Exclusive, Channel 5's daily entertainment news and gossip show, featured an interview with Anna on location filming Land Girls. She spoke about the difficulties of playing a lead role in what is essentially a romantic comedy-drama while going through her real-life breakup with Darren. She sounded philosophical enough ("c'est la vie; you live, you learn"), and reckons it has " . . made for a very emotionally charged performance" as a result. 18 March 1997According to one of the tabloids today Anna and her boyfriend Darren Day (who appears with her in several of the scans on this site) have ended their two and a half-year relationship. The paper's 'exclusive' reveals that the strain of their busy schedules has taken it's toll. A similar 'exclusive' story appeared in another of the tabloids last week, so it seems factual enough. 13 March 1997The release date for Anna's first film The Tribe has apparently slipped to "the summer". 9 March 1997The latest snippet of information I have is that Anna has been shortlisted, along with Catherine Zeta-Jones, for the role of Cathy in a new ITV production of Wuthering Heights. No cast details are finalised yet — the £2.5 million project is at the 'pre-production' stage according to London Weekend Television. As far as I am aware Anna is also still under consideration for the role of Joan of Arc in a new feature film but, as always, any corrections or additions to the information on this site are always welcomed. Sorry, no other 'news' reports were kept prior to this date. |
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