Billions star Damian Lewis leads stars at finance company’s annual 9/11 charity event
Billions star Damian Lewis has led celebrities taking part in a finance company’s annual charity day to raise millions in memory of workers who lost their lives 20 years ago on September 11th.
The British actor, who plays hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod in the hit US series, took part in the BGC event in support of two charities, one of which his late wife, Peaky Blinders actress Helen McCrory, was patron.
Lewis and his late wife Helen McCrory took part in the event together in 2019. Pic: James Veysey/Shutterstock
Lewis was joined by other stars including TV presenter Davina McCall, comedian and author David Walliams and actress Jenna Coleman, taking to the phones for the charity day, which is held at BGC offices around the world and last year raised $12m (about £8.6m) for charitable causes.
Speaking to Sky News’ business presenter Ian King, Lewis said money he raised would go to two grassroots organisations – Cure EB, which supports people affected by the skin condition epidermolysis bullosa, and arts group HVH Arts.
“It’s going to be the 20th anniversary tomorrow of that horrific day, 9/11,” he said. “I come here to support two charities, HVH Arts and Cure EB, and I’m here to try and raise money for them.
“I get on the phone with people who might have heard of me – or more likely have heard of Bobby Axelrod – and we do trades. Thankfully, all fixed interest so I can’t wipe millions off the share price in one morning.”
Lewis said his wife had been a patron of HVH arts before she died of cancer earlier this year and that it is a cause “very dear to my heart”.
He continued: “It specialises in working with underprivileged kids in the north London area, mostly Camden, Kentish Town, giving them an experience of the arts, photography, textiles, theatre, music. It’s an exposure to the arts, which I believe is so important for young kids, but it’s also an experience of self-worth and gives them a self-confidence.”
Lewis said he had worked with Cure EB for some time and that the charity funds clinical trials to try and find a cure for what is a “horrible, horrible disease”, which can cause skin cancer.
Lewis also recalled how he was filming a difficult scene of marital rape for period drama The Forsyte Saga with actress Gina McKee when he received news of the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
“It was much talked about in the lead-up to the filming because it had outraged audiences in the 1960s when the first adaptation was made,” he said of the scene.
“We were in the middle of this rather sensitive scene, myself and Gina McKee, and the first [assistant director] came on to set and said, ‘I’m terribly sorry to stop filming everyone, but a plane has just flown into the World Trade Centre’. And, of course, as we all know now, he arrived 16 minutes later to give us the news again, that the other plane had gone into the south tower.”
The BGC event is held each year in memory of the company’s 658 colleagues and the 61 Eurobrokers employees who lost their lives in the World Trade Center attacks.
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‘I sat on the bed crying all day’
TV presenter McCall said she had taken part in the charity day many times and that it is always exciting, but emotional.
“There’s such a buzz here today and there’s so much great energy and goodwill in the room,” she told King. “So many millions of pounds have been raised over the years for charities, in memory of their friends.”
McCall’s chosen charity is Action Medical Research, which funds research into rare childhood diseases. The star first supported the charity as a nine-year-old, encouraged to take on sponsored walks by her grandmother, and said she became an ambassador in later life.
David Walliams and Davina McCall also did their bit to raise funds
“It’s an amazing amount of money for them to get, we’re so enormously grateful,” she said. “But obviously, today is also tinged with sadness for these guys [at BGC], too. So it’s very moving being here.”
McCall said she was heavily pregnant with her first child when the terror attacks happened and recalled sitting and crying “the entire day, clutching my belly, wondering what kind of a world I was bringing my child into”.
She continued: “I just couldn’t see the world ever being the same again. But, I do feel like we’re healing bit by bit, and here we are today trying to do something good out of all of that.”
Entertainment
Snoop Dogg becomes co-owner and investor of Swansea football club saying it’s ‘an underdog just like me’
Police are taking no further action over Kneecap’s performance at Glastonbury.
Officers said they had investigated “comments about a forthcoming court case made during Kneecap’s performance” at the festival on 28 June.
However, after Crown Prosecution Service advice, they decided there is not enough evidence “to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence”.
The Avon & Somerset force started investigating the Irish group’s show last month, as well as comments by punk-rap duo Bob Vylan.
It said they were looking at a possible public order incident.
Police said on Friday that the investigation into Bob Vylan’s performance was ongoing.
The London duo were widely criticised – and caused a BBC crisis – after leading on-stage chants of “death to the IDF” (Israel Defence Forces).
Kneecap’s Liam Og O Hannaidh appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in June. Pic: PA
Kneecap posted a photograph on Instagram, which the group said was an email from police announcing the case was being dropped.
They said their packed Glastonbury gig was a “celebration of love and solidarity” and reporting used “wildly misleading headlines”.
Fears over what Kneecap might do or say during the performance had prompted the BBC not to show it live.
The group said: “Every single person who saw our set knew no law was broken, not even close… yet the police saw fit to publicly announce they were opening an investigation.”
“There is no public apology, they don’t send this to media or post it on police accounts,” they added.
The police statement on Friday said they had informed Kneecap of their decision to drop the case.
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One of the group’s members appeared in court in June charged with a terror offence.
Liam Og O hAnnaidh is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation in the UK, at a gig last year.
He was released on unconditional bail ahead of a second court appearance in August.
Entertainment
Tomorrowland: ‘Devastating’ blaze destroys main stage at major festival – two days before it was due to begin
A huge fire has destroyed the main stage of a major festival in Belgium – two days before it was due to begin.
Tomorrowland is a dance music event as big as Glastonbury – and David Guetta was due to perform.
Footage showed flames and thick plumes of black smoke engulfing the stage and spreading to nearby woodland on Wednesday.
The fire gutted the main stage
Fire crews attempt to bring the blaze under control
The annual festival in the town of Boom, north of Brussels, is one of the biggest in Europe and attracts about 400,000 people over two consecutive weekends.
It is famous for its immersive and elaborate designs and attracts big names within dance music – including Guetta, best known for tracks When Love Takes Over and Titanium.
Dutch DJs Martin Garrix and Charlotte de Witte were also due to perform, along with the likes of Swedish House Mafia, Eric Prydz and Alok.
Black smoke could be seen rising into the sky
The festival’s website described the creative elements which went into the elaborate main stage.
The theme, described as Orbyz, was “set in a magical universe made entirely out of ice” and “full of mythical creatures”.
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Organisers said no one was injured in the blaze but confirmed “our beloved main stage has been severely damaged”, adding they were “devastated”.
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen added: “We received some truly terrible news today. A fire broke out on the Tomorrowland site … and our main stage was essentially destroyed there, which is truly awful.
“That’s a stage that took years to build, with so much love and passion. So I think a lot of people are devastated.”
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen told reporters ‘a lot of people are devastated’
Despite the fire, Tomorrowland organisers said they were still expecting 38,000 festivalgoers at DreamVille, the event’s campsite.
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