I actually did feel touched(And that is quite enough of that..) by him and that was while watching his extraordinary documentary The Secret Life Of The Manic Depressive. Emotionally moved by his allowing the camera to capture the uncomfortable nature of the condition. There is nothing of the romantic struggle about what the poor man is forced to go through. It showed the painful daily grind of a condition which will not let go and has no seeming empathic shortcut. Like almost all emotional turbulence once one finds oneself in it, one must simply endure.
What a full life though. He is so candid and lovingly honest about his least appealing characteristics. He charms and he illuminates as he goes along the yellow brick road of life, not looking for a brain but so willing to share the one he has been gifted with. There is a lot in this boo but one gets the feeling there is also quite a bit left unsaid. It is the nature of showbiz memoirs, respecting other people's privacy, and also forgiving the mercurial nature of a life in the performing arts. The ups and downs and the ins and the outs, in every permutation the human mind is capable off. If you can think of it, you can be sure someone has been it. Theres nothing so fantastical as real life.
Check out Mister Fry's appearance on University Challenge. It must have felt like arriving at the inner circle of the King of Scholars and his retinue. His face shines with the awkward optimism of youthful forbearance, the stoicism that comes with just almost knowing the answers.
