I, Claudius - Livia and Claudius

The scene where Livia forbids Claudius from giving a public reading of his work.

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[captain07234]

I remember when I first saw this, it amazed me how Claudius kept on surviving all the madness.

[mildetryth]

Wonderful! She just knows an answer to everything! And Jocobi's so cute!

[Kate Williams]

Well, all I can say is that Emperor Vespasian spoke highly of Claudius and made a temple in his honor even though the Flavians did their best to distance themselves from the former dynasty and create their own legacy.

Robert Graves who wrote "I Claudius" knew the historical accounts of his life were biased, and apparently had a dream in which Claudius told him to tell the "real story of his life". He took certain liberties but was aware that the historians did as well.

[2000toddowen]

It's interesting to see Sian's demeanor portraying Livia slighlty gassed. She probably drew upon her marriage to O'Toole and the two drunk Dicks {Burton and Harris} in some of the scenes for a sort of road map on how to be popmpously drunk. She pulls it off with flying colours.

[Maxwell Garnaat]

He just has a particularly terrible stutter, among other problems.

[EoN604]

what's wrong with him?

[crownprincetaffe]

yet these are the same ancient sources who blame Claudius (not his freedmen) but Claudius for anything bad that happened during his rule...Essentially they can't make up their minds he's a terrible emperor and its completely his fault when something bad happens but when good things happened under his rule then his freedmen did it. You can't believe everything Suetonius and Tacitus say about him also they mainly hated him because he was disabled.

[zacthecatty35]

Truly, Sian Philips was A-mazing in this performance as Livia. A Roman Alexis Colby. She would have got an Oscar today, and Derek Jacobi. Brilliant acting.

[JokinglySerious]

tourettes? you mean stammer.

[James Livingston]

This man must have been a hit with the ladies.

[roslyn weinstein]

Awww. Gramma is being mean to the Tourette's guy.

[emilie363]

I love this series so much. Derek jacobi did a real virtuoso performance in it