farmdoc's blog post number 578

Six Degrees of Separation is a 1993 film. The term refers to the idea that if a person is one step away from each person they know and two steps away from each person who is known by one of the people they know, then everyone is at most six steps away from any other person on Earth. It was popularised by a play written by John Guare, also released in 1993. What a fascinating concept. Last Saturday Sweetheart Vivienne and I visited Alan Cassell who’s been our friend ever since the Save Albert Park campaign. Alan’s a well-known actor. Think The Club and SeaChange. Also the 1980 film Breaker Morant in which he played Lord Kitchener. Breaker was, of course, played by Edward Woodward (pictured). I love the syllabic repetition of the name Edward Woodward. And I love his acting – including as Breaker, in The Wicker Man, and as the eponymous spy in Callan. Woodward died last Monday. He was 79. I’ll miss his clear and clipped diction, his calm and resolute demeanour, and his handsome face. Alan Cassell, though somewhat disabled by a motor vehicle injury which ended his acting career, still has an impressive speaking voice even in everyday conversation. And he’s still a handsome man. Due to Breaker Morant, Alan has always reminded me of Edward. And he always will, I think. Wow! That’s only two degrees of separation. By my count, anyway.