Charles Dance discovers his Belgian origins...

[@TihetrisWeathersby]

Charles is a splendid character actor, Despite playing intimidating people he's pretty nice

[@JonnyDredd]

He certainly is, easily in the top eschelons of greatest actors ever

[@EastJazzman]

I met the actor Ian Beatttie, who played Meryn Trant, he was a very jovial and friendly guy.

[@eedwardgrey2]

Funnily enough John of Gaunt (one of the major inspirations for Tywin Lannister) was haunted thoughout his life by a rumour that he was fathered by a Flemish butcher

[@robinducul9967]

Charles Dance ancestors are not flemish at all... it said they were from Spa.

[@istoppedcaring6209]

well he was born in Gent "gand" in french

[@istoppedcaring6209]

also the rains of castamere song bares a striking resemblence to the flemish anthem

[@istoppedcaring6209]

@@robinducul9967 he was talking about the character tywin lanister, but yes they were from spa in what was then the princebishopric of Liege

[@American_Outcast]

I'll Watch Anything with. Charles Dance in it. He has Such Charisma that Captivates Attention.

[@TihetrisWeathersby]

Tywin Lannister learns about his ancestors

[@stanleysmith7551]

He's 70% Andal, 20% First Man, 10% Valyrian and 100% badass.

[@Shak2k11]

Lann the Clever

[@kristofferhellstrom]

He's such an amazing actor! The UK and the Belgians should be proud!

[@colmmeade1824]

Yes as far as I know he lives in Belgium now

[@Tomcat_Centauri]

A friend told me recently that he had Belgian origins and i didn't really believe it. But hey, good to know that one of my favourite actors of all time is also a bit of a local man !! 🇧🇪 🖤💛❤

[@lacrimi512]

Imagine Tywin Lannister studying the Age of Heroes, and seeking evidence of the existence of Lann the Clever

[@Disneynurse2024]

Hé is one of us 🥳🇧🇪

[@Tomcat_Centauri]

One of us ! One of us !! 😁

[@blueboxodyssey8532]

The one film I always remember Charles in, from when I was a child. Is 'Last Action Hero'. I loved his portrayal of the Villain, Benedict.

[@Laurie473]

Indeed... the 'changeable' Glass Eye was a great touch !

[@TheIndianalain]

As a Belgian, I'm very proud that such a great actor as Charles Dance has roots in my country! I'm always surprised to discover how many people around the world have ancestors from tiny Belgium, like there are currently three (out of twenty) F1 drivers with a belgian mother : the dutch Verstappen, the british Norris and the canadian Stroll... Not bad for an 11 million inhabitants country... Likewise most Belgians have ancestors from other countries, I personally have roots in Germany and France, dating from the 19th century and I'm pretty sure that if I could go back in time, I'd find that I'm descending from Spaniards, Italians, Austrians, British etc...

[@alexanderb5726]

Charles Dance has played many a character who's been a mighty statesman fixated on family and legacy, I find it cool that real life Charles also cares a great deal about his bloodline.

[@alyu1129]

Dance does not have to act at all. He just plays himself and reads his lines.

[@batintheattic7293]

Oh Hell no - he's extremely skilled. I'm still a little cold on the inside from watching him, play a vampire, last night.

[@Luvinist]

How does his voice sound threatening when just talking normally.

[@LauraWells-q5x]

Drama class.

[@reginaldamoah8608]

He is the spit of his great x 4 grandmother

[@Tomcat_Centauri]

The eyes and the nose don't lie

[@AuxaneST]

Charles-François Futvoye. Definitely a wallon. So that's where his artistic fiber comes from...

[@DenUitvreter]

I always thought he had the most English face since The Jewel in the Crown, while the guy in the painting looks pretty Low Lands.

[@stephanieyee9784]

This was very interesting.

[@LadyLier17]

Her ggggm looks so much to him

[@noelryan6341]

Fascinating! However, regarding the Artist's Supplies Account, I do not wish to be 'picky', but having been 'taught' Arithmetic 1950's-1960's (painfully!) 20 was a 'Score' not a 'Gross' which was 12 Dozen (a 'Grosse Douzaine' or 12 dozen = 144) so it's not an account for '2 gross dozen pencils' = 60, but 2 by 144 pencils! 'The Devil's in the detail'!

[@hadz8671]

To be picky, she incorrectly said 3 gross was 60 (whereas it is actually 432).

[@debrickashaw9387]

Love Charles Dance

[@Trexmaster12]

Stannis Baratheon, lord of Storm's End & lord paramount of Stormlands, narrating the humble origins of Tywin Lannister, lord of Casterly Rock & warden of the West.

[@mandie4041]

I wish it was Stannis, but it's actor Phil Davis

[@australisborealispolaris477]

Charles Dance, hear me roar.

[@unitor699industries]

this is amazing

[@Luke-t8z8v]

The irony of him being one of the leads in Michiel de Ruyter.

[@GuineaPigEveryday]

I had no idea he was in that film, now I really need to see it, one of the few Dutch movies ppl seem to give acclaim and if Charles Dance was in it I imagine he gave it most of its quality

[@kkurajam]

That's why he's orange ❤

[@Ludwig_Cox]

ONE OF US ONE OF US

[@nenenikole]

They are people of consequence! To google I go…. Ok, that’s what I thought!

[@CROM-on1bz]

Jean-Françoisis a typically French first name or at least typically Walloon the French-speaking part of Belgium

[@k.v.7681]

Charles François in this case, but the point stands. And given they come from Spa, would have indeed spoken French. Spa is a small town in the Ardennes that had a reputation for it's thermal waters, luxury hotels and is home to one of the oldest dedicated casinos (gambling before that was a soiree activity for the well-off, practiced in private salons rather than an open dedicated space). It did attract the rich, and the rich of the time spoke French.

[@CROM-on1bz]

@@k.v.7681 Non , pas les riches, les gens cultivés...

[@k.v.7681]

@@CROM-on1bz Tu pouvais être bien disgracieux, de la noblesse, et fréquenter les hauts lieux de la société. A moins d'avoir un mécène, un amoureux des arts et de la culture ne passait pas la porte des hotels de luxe et particuliers spadois. Donc je maintiens que c'était bien réservé aux riches. On parle de station thermale au 18e siècle, pas d'une tournée des musées en vacances au 21e.

[@madisonc-s5531]

So while he was bossing around the Royal family (Cersei, Jamie, Tyrion) His REAL lineage used to do the same thing 😮 This Explains why he is so good at it

[@gregorioeduardo]

I wonder if he’ll ever find out how tall his ancestors stood? 😅😅

[@fearcollins7425]

Charles hasn't aged at all in 13 years.

[@thecrazyhobo]

This is just propaganda to cover up the truth about what the Lannisters REALLY did. 😆

[@FragLord]

Belgian origins idk. Just looking at the dates , that man lived through many countries and time periods. The social, cultural, religious and political landscape before, during and after Napoleon would make even the smallest village unrecognizable. The low countries were especially hit hard during the absent years of the family. The Napoleonic war itself + the peasant uprising truly decimated the population. The entire social structure and bureaucracy of the time before they left and when Belgium became to be. AKA 3 revolutions of radical change. From Austrian Catholics to French revolutionaries & Napoleon to the Dutch Protestants and then the Belgian revolution... It would be steep to say that the family would recognize anything and anyone if they would've visited Belgium after those 4 formative decades... It is true, he was born in current day Belgium Spa. Yet the family left in 1789... That's 3 years before the First coalition war against France. Just to give you an idea how long that is ago. Not just in time, but how much has happened in Europe in those 40 - 50 years. It would be the same to say that you left Austria in 1910 and you would expect to recognize it in 1950... That's not (the same) Austria... And most of that empire, about 80%, would never be called Austria again, ever... Very compareable in this case would be Czechoslovakia. A fusion of 2 countries and cultures, brought together by necessity. But important people of their past are not Czechoslovakian. That's a nationality... Not a culture. They would be either German, Czech, Slovak or Hungarian. ( The 4 major culture groups in early Czechoslovakia). That would make them part of Czeochoslovakian national history. But national history is 1 part history since the independence of the nation and 2 the history of the geography. The vast majority of the Native Americans are part of US (national) history. But it would be steep to call an ancient bowslinging free roaming Comanchee an American... See the difference... At that time it was the Austrian Netherlands and/or the Bishopric of Liège (part of the holy roman empire), then Napoleon took over (1804), then it united with the Dutch (1815) and only after 1831 it would be called Belgium... Mind you that Belgium is the Latin synonym of our modern understanding of the Low Lands or Low Countries. Before the existence of a Belgian state, Belgium was used for all inhabitants of the entire region. It's the Latin name for the geographical location of the Low Lands, coming from the ancient Belgae tribe. That's why the Latin name for The Dutch Republic was Belgium Foederatum... And the Austrian Netherlands were called Belgium Austricum. It is also noted that the Futvoye family came from the town of SPA in Belgium. They were forced to leave in 1789 due to some political uprising, that was connected to the French Revolution. The family eventually settled in Marylebone, London, England in 1791. So they moved out of the region over 40 years until the creation of Belgium... That's a little much if you ask me. Mind you that Belgium isn't a culture. Belgium is a nation/nationality mixed up out of different cultures/language groups. So it would make much more sense to say he had Wallonian/Liège/Luxemburgish heritage. This is not a political statement, just a personal believe that it's ridiculous to claim people as part of your national history, when there isn't a nation yet... Especially when the idea of that nation isn't build around nationalism or pan nationalism like Poland, Italy or Germany.

[@flitsertheo]

It took until 1830 before we got our name but the people that live here have always been "Belgians".

[@FragLord]

@@flitsertheo I would say I agree with that in part. But we are not talking about other people, we are talking about this family... Considering they left even before the Napoleonic reforms, it would be hard to say what they consider themselves as. Since we have no written record, it's hard to say otherwise. There are many people who have dual nationality in many countries, who would not state they that their place of residence or birth is their homeland. Not only that but both the French revolution, the unification of the Netherlands and the Belgian revolution were very heavily impactful times for many groups in different time periods. A lot of people either emigrated or migrated in those periods of time. Regimes were changed, aristocracy, bureaucracy, etc. In the 40 years the family wasn't in "Belgium", their country would've changed unrecognizably. His family being a prime example. Instead of Belgian, it would've made more sense to have said he has a Walloon heritage, because that is the local culture. Since cultures, nations and nationalities are 3 different things. But they could've been emigres from France, who still considered themselves very much French. We don't know how they felt, so I think calling them something even though they never lived in a country that didn't exist at the time, would be a bit weird. The way people thought, lived and thought about themselves as a people in a geo-political sense was way different in 1770 than it is today. And each revolution, ideas, regimes and both the idea and functioning of a state would change drastically.

[@gorknotmork3087]

Using that logic Leonardo Da Vinci was not an Italian artist, Goete not a German etc. Sometimes countries inherit history from before their time.

[@gunterke]

In the 18th century people already started using the name Belgians for the inhabitants of the Austrian Netherlands (referring to the region, not the language), later it was still in use during the French and Dutch era.

[@FragLord]

@@gunterke Not entirely true. The term Leo Belgicus was used as a term for the entire region, including the "real" Netherlands. Also Belgium is just the Latin version of The Netherlands...If anything Belgium was used for all inhabitants, not only for the southern provinces. The Latin name of the Austrian Netherlands was. Belgium Austriacum... Did you know what the colony of The New Netherlands in the USA was called in Latin? Nova Belgica... The United Provinces of the Netherlands's latin name was Belgium Foederatum. All of the Low Countries were known as Belgium/Belgica, after the split in the 16th century they referred to the south and north as Belgium Regium and Belgium Foederatum. Ironically the Dutch have been calling themselves Belgian and Belgium, long before Belgium did/could. Belgium usurped the name in a way. It would be the same as France splitting in 2. And 1 of both countries would still be called France. That's what I mean. The historical use of Belgium is totally different from our current day understanding. Not to mention the peoples the region was named after, were almost all brutally killed or deported by the Romans. Belgium is nothing more than a geographical term for a location by the Romans where that people used to live that they exterminated. And that name was used for the entire region we know as "the low countries". Not just modern day Belgium. The amount of people that used Belgium or Belgian as an identity in the past, before 1830, is hard to say. I could not find any clear evidence of people doing so. Given the fact that only the elite could read & write and only them could understand Latin. I'm assuming it was a thing of the elite, aristocracy and upper class. My estimate would be that people used much more local identities during those times. Linking to either their local culture/province or even city. Which is why Belgians have much more place names as a last name versus Dutch people.

[@batintheattic7293]

Can't see what else is on that 'shopping list' but, unless he had a studio, the artistic ancestor wasn't using 'Cobalt' for drawing cartoons. See where I'm going with this? He was painting things, too. Maybe there is little to no surviving example of painted work attributed to him still around and obvious - but he was doing it. What happened in the end? Did Charles Dance find out if one of those portraits was a selfie?

[@lolaevan8979]

I can’t listen to this without having flashes of Tywin Lannister 🫨

[@hystari200]

Tywin learns about Jason and Tyland: Lannisters don’t act like fools

[@haithamalmahri3401]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 that was a good one HAA

[@BernardSenyo-y4m]

I AM THAT I AM

[@michaelberringer8595]

Just another documentary about a rich family lineage. cool

[@susanb4816]

Fun fact: we all have 64 great great grandparents

[@msinvincible2000]

Not all: in certain cultures, and even in England till the first half of the century, cousins marry. In those cases, you can't have 64 great great grandparents.

[@GustavSvard]

@@msinvincible2000 And the more generations back you go the more of these incidents will crop up, yeah. Go back a thousand years and we'd have 1-2 billion ancestors at that time otherwise - and there weren't that many humans alive at that time. :)

[@edbop]

Ouch.

[@civitasmilitaris8460]

WALLOON GANG RISE UP

[@DavidGrush]

So british

[@themightydutch]

1791 ? Doesnt this mean southern dutch origins? Belgium got their independence in 1830...

[@2adamast]

And how do you call that place southern dutch in french or latin in 1660?

[@uncleirohofthefirenation5987]

Belgium lmao😂

[@nismansspil]

Welkom makker

[@HeideKristofersson]

Well this talent should be used in right projects not popcorn movies

[@eamonlyons8069]

Not lann the clever.

[@MacBratt]

There was no Belgium at the time his ancesters migrated. . . . . .

[@Tomcat_Centauri]

Belgium didn't magically sprout into existence when it revolted against the Netherlands and declared its Independence as a Sovereign Nation, it's been there since the Antiquity, and like most European Countries, it's been conquered by every other major Nation, its borders moving around often. But the area that Belgium occupies now has always been known as Belgium, and its people the Belgians, as far back as the Gallic Wars when it was known as Gallia Belgica by the Romans. So yes, his ancestors were Belgians, and were very much coming from Belgium, even if the Country as we know it today didn't officially exist back then.

[@MarigoldThyme]

@@Tomcat_Centauri Why can't I find this on Google? Any suggestion where I can read more about it?

[@Tomcat_Centauri]

@@MarigoldThyme Wikipedia, everywhere, it's the History of Belgium. It didn't start in 1830.

[@MacBratt]

@@Tomcat_Centauri Are you real ? The land existed, but the country didn't. I should know, I live there, founded in 1830.

[@Tomcat_Centauri]

@MacBratt I live there too, all the more reason. People didn't spawn into existence here the day some important folks decided to sign a piece of paper. Your ancestors and mine were living there before 1830, in a land that has been known as Belgium since the Antiquity. The only thing that changed was the Country being officially recognised as a Sovereign Nation.

[@fionaottley4976]

Nah, GGGG grandfather looks like Boris Johnson

[@ykles24]

No ressemblance? But there is, in the curve of the nose.

[@Luftkenza]

To think that was nearly a normal amount of kids to have those days,no wonder Europeans are being replaced. Gone from +10 kids to having 1-3 or even none at all.

[@kikidevine694]

Are you talking about all Europeans, or just the ones you approve of?

[@Luftkenza]

@@kikidevine694 All Europeans? What are you trying to say?

[@flitsertheo]

They always had a few "spare" ones because many children didn't live until adulthood.

[@Vahki100]

@@Luftkenza Oh I know exactly what he's talking about. Some sort of garbage about Muslim and originally non-European immigrants. Drivel as always.

[@jivkoyanchev1998]

Not all of those survived. In grandma's family, she was born in 1929, were 4 children, of which only 2 survived to adulthood and only 1 continue the family. So more children doesn't mean all survive to continue to line.

[@mythicalcheesegames]

🇧🇪🇧🇪

[@tomjaap2933]

Belgium is not a real country

[@Hugh_Morris]

Belgium isnt a real country

[@KingOfTheHollows]

true

[@Briselance]

I say, that is not nice. And not that true, either.

[@Akhundelar_Far]

Well as is it now yes it is. But should it be considering the 3 diffrent languges and diffrent cultures then maybe not. But same can be said for the Swiss yet they have a good functioning country even though they have 3 diffrent languages.

[@frederik_9748]

Why is it always Belgium that's not a country and why is it always non-Belgians who say this? We fought to be a country against the French, the Dutch and the Germans and still we're not deserving to be called a country apparently.

[@Hugh_Morris]

@@frederik_9748 you're French and Dutch rebels