An Englishman in New York

(I watched this today)

An Englishman in New York is a 2009 biographical drama film that chronicles the English gay writer Quentin Crisp's later years spent in New York City. It is a follow-up to the 1975 TV movieThe Naked Civil Servant with John Hurt reprising his role as Crisp.

"Englishman in New York" is a song by Sting, from his 1987 album ...Nothing Like the Sun. The "Englishman" in question is the famous eccentric Quentin Crisp. Sting wrote the song not long after Crisp moved from London to an apartment in New York's Bowery.

John Hurt re-visits his iconic role as Quentin Crisp in a single film for ITV1

JOHN HURT will reprise his role as English eccentric Quentin Crisp in AN ENGLISHMAN IN NEW YORK, a funny and moving film from Leopardrama which picks up where the 1970's classic The Naked Civil Servant left off.

Sex in the City star Cynthia Nixon also joins the cast on location in the Big Apple. No stranger to the streets of Manhattan, Nixon will take the role of Penny Arcade, the performance artist and playwright who formed a close bond with Crisp in his latter years. The two created the long-running performance/interview piece, The Last Will and Testament of Quentin Crisp.

Further casting announcements include up and coming American actor Jonathan Tucker (Veronica Must Die, The Black Donnellys,) who stars as Patrick Angus, the young artist who befriended the English eccentric, Denis O’Hare (Brother’s and Sisters, Charlie Wilson’s War, Michael Clayton) as magazine editor, Phillip Steele and Pushing Daisies’ Swoozie Kurtz, as Crisp’s American agent, Connie Clausen.

Out-spoken dandy Quentin Crisp sets off on the journey of a lifetime to the Big Apple. New Yorkers immediately embrace Quentin and his witty waspish ways, and before long he is being wined and dined by celebrities in every corner of Manhattan.

A shining light of the chattering classes, Quentin befriends Patrick, a young artist who opens his eyes to the possibility that intimate human relationships - something Quentin has spent his life running away from - can work. But, as is so often the case with the maverick gay writer, Quentin cannot help but shock and, at a public event, he quips that the burgeoning AIDS crisis is "a fad". Quentin is suddenly dropped from high society.

Multi-award winning actor John Hurt counts numerous classic film and TV shows among his credits, including The Elephant Man, Midnight Express, Alien, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, The Alan Clark Diaries, Scandal and I, Claudius. Among his many award wins and nominations, John won a Best Actor BAFTA for his role in The Naked Civil Servant.

Laura Mackie, Director of Drama at ITV, said:

“We are delighted to be making another film about Quentin Crisp given The Naked Civil Servant was such a landmark film for ITV. It’s a real thrill and honour to be bringing an actor of John Hurt's stature back to the channel to reprise such an iconic role. This is largely down to the quality of Brian Fillis' wonderful script, which completely captures the extraordinary and outrageous character of Quentin Crisp.”

Executive Producer James Burstall of Leopardrama said:

"This is Leopardrama's most ambitious project to date. A period piece set in the 1970's and 1980's, it picks up where The Naked Civil Servant left off. It is a great honour for us to be working with John Hurt in one of his most seminal roles."

AN ENGLISHMAN IN NEW YORK will be produced by Amanda Jenks (The Grey Man, Mysterious Creatures) and directed by Richard Laxton (Hancock & Joan, Grow Your Own). It is written by Brian Fillis (Curse of Steptoe, Fear of Fanny).