chris
If you’re a British citizen of a certain age, Chris Tarrant is the face of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”. He’s also done a lot of other stuff, including stints on radio, but that’s why people know his face.
He was at the BBC promoting something, I genuinely don’t remember what. What I do remember is that he took slight offence to a caller doing a bad impression of him, mostly the fact they used the phrase “Tee Hee”. He was adamant he doesn’t laugh like that. I stifled a laugh on live radio.
Regardless when it came to our portrait time, I wanted to capture him in a more serious light. Maybe it was because I’d just seen how much he didn’t want to be be seen in a light hearted manor, I’m not sure. Either way I got him to put his leather jacket on over his gaudy Hawaiian shirt and placed him infant of some dark curtains which used to surround the green room of Radio 2.
I asked him to take a breath, marking one of the first times I asked a celebrity to do a “thing”. He listened and on the count of three he opened his eyes. I captured 4 frames of a the real man. At least I’m pretty sure I did. Due to the colour of the background, the images work best in Black and White which gives them a slight, “he just died” feel. But that’s what looks best.
Thanks Chris - I didn’t need to phone a friend or ask the audience after all.
