Daily Mail: James Purefoy Bulks Up to Play The Saint

The Saint's Blog devoted to news and rumors about The Saint and Leslie Charteris. Simon Templar, alias The Saint, was played by Roger Moore in the 1960's TV show featuring the Volvo 1800.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

This article from the Daily Mail crossed our desks today:
James Purefoy bulks up - and grows his hair - to play The Saint
By BAZ BAMIGBOYE, 24th April 2008

Saintly: James Purefoy will be growing his hair long for the role of Simon Templar.

James Purefoy, who received a scar or two while filming his last movie, is busy getting into shape — and growing his hair — to play The Saint.

The two-hour TV film will shoot in New York and Leslie Charteris's hero has been updated to contemporary times.

But Roger Moore, who played The Saint in the Sixties, will be keeping an eye on the proceedings, because he and his son Geoffrey are among the team of four producers who picked up the rights to produce new TV versions of Charteris's tales.

Purefoy's Simon Templar will still be smartly attired and cool, but he'll have more of a kick-ass attitude.

'He gets more into the thick of the fighting,' someone close to the project told me.

If the pilot works, Purefoy will sign on to do more.

He has just finished playing comicbook hero Solomon Kane and received some cuts and bruises doing fight scenes. He had his hair cut off to play Kane, but needs his mane again for his turn as Templar.
Labels: 2008, James Purefoy