rifleman isaiah tongue
In Bernard Cornwell's books, Rifleman Tongue is the educated one of Sharpe's bunch of misfits. He was also a drunk, which is how he came into the army ... but he was invaluable in Sharpe's company when sober, he could read letters, and remember the bible. He comes to an untimely end in Sharpe's Gold. In the films, he is the opposite ... not exactly dim witted but certainly a little slow except with the ladies! He has no background, other than the army, but he can fight and is good with the rifle, and follows orders to the letter. Tall, and willowy, Tongue is one of life's pieces of flotsam, no one knows where he came from ... and he disappeared after Sharpe's Eagle. He was a great character, and was very popular with everyone. Paul Trussell's characterisation was an interesting one, somehow you managed to find sympathy for Tongue whilst enjoying his cheekiness too! I wished he had returned after Eagle, just to see how his character developed. |
Rifleman Tongue is a bit of an enigma, by that I mean that he's one character in the books and quite another in the films!paul trussell
Paul Trussell was born in Wimbledon in 1965. Son of a policeman and a housewife, the youngest by ten years of three brothers. He first enjoyed the limelight aged five for a production at Bushey Primary School but to this day believes he was robbed of a better role (He was in the chorus seated at side of stage) by Steven Bunworth.
Following a fairly normal upbringing, at fifteen he was devastated by the tragic death of his beloved elder brother, Barry, a fireman mortally wounded at a fire in St. George's Hospital, Tooting. He also lost his best friend, at eighteen in a motorcycle crash.
Despite being rejected for every drama school in London he was determined that a life of make-believe was for him and broke into professional acting aged twenty one when he formed a Theatre in Education company and gained an equity card.
Since then he (well me really, we all know I'm actually writing this..!) has performed in many plays and television programmes and the odd film. Highlights for me, I mean him are 'Sharpe' (obviously), 'Crime Traveller', 'Vanishing Man', 'So Haunt Me', two series of 'Big Meg, Little Meg' and 'Cry Wolf' all of which were nice regular parts and guest appearances in, amongst others, 'Chef', 'The Chief', 'Cadfael', 'Bugs', 'Wexford', 'Sam's Game', 'My Family' the odd 'Holby City' and of course a few 'Bills'(Including last years live one)!
His favourite stage appearances would include 'Sam and Sarah Dress Up' at the Chelsea Centre (Having co-devised the piece with friends from his own company) 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses' touring with the RSC, 'Marya' at the Old Vic 'It's a Great Big Shame' (Which was devised with Mike Leigh, over three months of cast improvisations) and Mike Alfreds' production of 'Midsummer Night's Dream' and 'The Golden Ass' at Shakespeare's Globe.
Film includes Mike Leigh's 'Life is Sweet' and 'Secrets and Lies' (don't blink though!), Roger Michell's 'Titanic Town' and peep peeping his whistle as Ned the Fireman in the recent remake of 'The Railway Children'.
Paul lives in Mitcham with his fiancée Penny and dog Lottie. He is currently hard at work devising a television drama but in September will be appearing as Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night at The Bolton Octagon.
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Last update June 30th 2004