Remember "All Creatures Great and Small"?

[trof]

http://www.phill.co.uk/comedy/acgas/index.html
The series that ran on PBS in the 70s and 80s based on the book of the same name about the experiences of English country veterinarian James Herriot?
Actor Christopher Timothy played Herriot.

What brought this up:
Last night I was talking with some friends about what far out, :wtf: things actors will do for their craft. I thought about Timothy and an episode of ACGAS. A farmer's cow has some kind of "plumbing" problem and "Herriot", dressed as always in a coat and tie, arrives in the barnyard to try and right things.

He takes his coat off, rolls up his right sleeve, lubes his arm with vegetable oil or something, and PLUNGES HIS ENTIRE ARM, UP TO THE SHOULDER, IN THE COW'S RECTUM. This is NOT trick photography. It's a real cow. My first thought was "Jeez, I didn't know vets had to do THAT kind of stuff. Whew." About 5 seconds later it hit me. This guy is not a vet, he's a bleeding ACTOR. Double wow. They'd have to pay me a lot to do that.

Got any similar examples of the lengths an actor would go to in a role?

[ezgoingrl]

1. If you like the tv series, read the books!

James Herriot's books are awesome! I think there are 4 or 5 of them. They are laugh out loud funny and just wonderful to read!!

[trof]

4. I have read a couple.

Wonder if the series will ever come back? Kind of timeless.

[Droopy]

2. I've heard of a few things

I've heard of actors gaining and losing weight for a role. I've also heard of some learning a new craft or a trade for a role, although I don't have any specific examples.

I must say, that cow's rectum thing didn't sit too well with my cheerios this morning.

[markbark]

3. Look at it this way....

in the cutthroat world of television/movies/theatre, if the worst thing you have to do to get a job is shove your hand up a cow's ass.....
Well, call it a good day!

--MAB

[BiggJawn]

6. Beats having a producer shove his hand up YOU....

Talk about your "casting couch"!

[JanMichael]

5. I REMEMBER THAT!

I was mezmorized by it.

Can you imagine a member of the cast of "Friends" doing that?

:silly:

[molly]

7. All Creatures Bright and Beautfiul

I read him years ago - the stories are keepers! Especially if you love animals.

[FireHeart]

8. I loved the books.

Still read them, from time to time. We have all of them.

Excellent writing.

[pippin]

9. wonderful!

I loved the cast and the characters except the fact they changed the actor who played Helen.

The shots of Yorkshire were also wonderful.

[bif]

10. Saw himn in a pub in England

Many years ago i was in a pub and Christopher Timothy was a couple tables over.

[StopTheMorans]

11. loved the books...

too young to have seen the show:)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

12. I gave violin lessons to a group of actresses

who were involved in a production of "Playing for Time", which was about musicians who lived in a concentration camp. In the course of 3 months, I think they did an amazing job. They also shaved their heads and made a point of not wearing wigs in public. These women wanted to come as close as they could to understanding the humiliation that their characters would have suffered in real life.

They were truly amazing...each and every one.

[trof]

13. Damn

I saw that.
Did you list it in 10 things we didn't know about you?

[plcdude]

14. how about a

young black woman fucking an old redneck white man to get an academy award and trying to explain it to her husband.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

15. Did she get an award?

Was this a role in a movie, or was it sexual harassment?