Tony Slattery

[diggedy derek]

Just feel we should note this heartbreaking piece.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/apr/29/tony-slattery-had-very-happy-time-went-slightly-barmy

[Ray de Galles]

Christ, I read the first half of that on the train this morning but hadn't got to the "reveal", heartbreaking.

I'm not always a fan of Freeman's writing but that is a very affecting piece.

[3 Colours Red]

There was a similar piece about him in the Mirror a week or two ago, but it lacked the nuance and somewhat skirted about the darker periods.

[Jah Womble]

Ouch. That was quite a heavy read. I knew he'd had problems with alcohol and coke (and latterly the bi-polar issues) but had often suspected that there might be something else concealed there. The poor guy.

(As is often the case, I can imagine one or two others might also have opened the thread with a little 'trepidation'.)

[MsD]

Yep, poor guy. I'm not a fan of Hadley Freeman but that's well-written, assuming he doesn't mind being exposed like that.

I used to really fancy him back in the day. He's a few months younger than me. Fucking hell.

[ursus arctos]

He seems to be quite OK with it

https://twitter.com/TheTonySlattery/status/1122854162033725440

[Nocturnal Submission]

Yes. He's been through some dreadfully dark times. I really want him to bounce back.

[Ray de Galles]

Further to the tweet UA posted up, he's even more specific here :

https://twitter.com/TheTonySlattery/status/1122777545353637888

[MsD]

I'm glad that's the case, but I've seen some people with bi-polar be open with journalists and film-makers, only to go the other way afterwards.

[diggedy derek]

I would like to change the title, thanks for that suggestion. I can't see how, though.

[Sits]

Thanks for the thread DD, what an excellent but sad article.

[jwdd27]

Yeah, very good article, especially by Hadley Freeman's (and the modern Guardian's) standards. I thought at first the early mention of smelling alcohol was a cheap shot, but it fits with the honesty of the piece.
I wonder if his famous (and wealthy) contemporaries were aware of his predicament, and how much help they've been able or willing to give over the years. The bit about wanting to get enough food to get them through the week was particularly bleak.

[Satchmo Distel]

I'm not sure how close the famous (and wealthy) contemporaries ever were to each other. Certainly I'd doubt that there was much sharing of such personal information as it would have meant dropping the mask and stepping out of the persona he had developed, except with his partner.

I hope the article has been some help to him but it's a difficult read which treads a thin ethical line, although I agree that it just about stays on the correct side of it.

[Sits]

He had a bit part in Stephen Fry's Kingdom a few years back so perhaps Fry has stuck with him. I like to think/hope that with his own challenges Slattery's experience would resonate with Fry of all that group, if group it was.

[Satchmo Distel]

Slattery was in Fry's documentary on depression. Here from 48:00:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj8hqXd7N_A

[Satchmo Distel]

Tony on ITV this morning. Sweet and moving:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlUniS5ZwPc

[jameswba]

Moving indeed. Anyone watching that will (or should) be rooting for him.

I also think the Hadley Freeman piece gets it just about right, and her concern for him seemed very genuine.

[Satchmo Distel]

Last night I watched Terry Hall's podcast with Richard Herring and it struck me how strong are the parallels between the two men's lives. But Hall has bounced back career-wise, even if the music is only a temporary relief for him.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Tony Slattery: 'This terrible thing still weighs on me. Why, after all this time?'

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/...droidApp_Gmail

A follow up a year on.

[Sits]

Thanks a lot for posting AE.

[Nocturnal Submission]

Did anyone else watch What's the Matter with Tony Slattery? on the Beeb? Quite a hard watch as TS is such a troubled soul but heartening to see the love and patient support of his partner and the general goodwill that surrounds him.

[Sits]

Did anyone else watch What's the Matter with Tony Slattery? on the Beeb? Quite a hard watch as TS is such a troubled soul but heartening to see the love and patient support of his partner and the general goodwill that surrounds him.

Watched this last night; it had been on our backlog of stuff recorded from the TV since about August. You're right on all counts NS - his partner is a lovely, patient and sensitive guy and the feeling between them is a real positive in TS's whole predicament. He's just a guy you just want the best for, and the juxtaposition between him then, and him now, is jarring and confronting.