Branson, Richard

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    How ‘Peter Pan’ Inspired Richard Branson

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    The businessman and subject of a new documentary series is a fan of “Mare of Easttown,” “Sharkwater” and letting his grandchildren beat him at chess.In the opening moments of the HBO documentary series “Branson,” Richard Branson looks into the camera to say goodbye.“It’s always strange recording something when you’re alive and healthy,” he said, “knowing the only reason this video will be seen is if something has gone awry.”Branson, a serial entrepreneur whose businesses include the aerospace company Virgin Galactic, has bid farewell before when he thought he needed to prepare for the worst — “I’ve written letters to my children and my grandchildren on a number of occasions,” he said in a phone interview last month — but in this case, it was 16 days before he tried spaceflight.Even though that 2021 trip was a success, the footage didn’t go to waste. It made its way into “Branson,” a four-part series that covers his life and career, including his founding of the Virgin empire. Talking about his life, he believes, is part of the mission.“Your life is not wasted if you’ve learned a lot and you’ve shared it,” he said in the documentary. “If you’ve learned a lot and you don’t share your life, I personally feel that your life is wasted somewhat.”Here, Branson shares the people who have inspired him, the books he returns to and why he keeps losing at tennis. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.1. “Peter Pan” I found the “Peter Pan” story as a kid and thought it was a magical story. Being able to just flap the arms and fly has been my most recurring dream.2. Forgiveness It was an honor to be able to spend quite a bit of time with Archbishop Desmond Tutu. And one of my favorite books is Nelson Mandela’s “Long Walk to Freedom.” I think that the overriding lesson that the two of them taught the world was the importance of forgiveness. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission that they set up in South Africa was completely and utterly remarkable.3. Grandchildren The best present I ever received was when my grandkids put on a show for me, which they performed in the middle of the dining room table. Shows from kids, and then grandkids, are often the best presents.4. “Biko” I was in South Africa with Nelson Mandela when they unveiled a statue of Steve Biko, a Black activist who was killed in a prison cell by white people during apartheid. After Mandela made his speech, I managed to get the microphone off him and handed it to Peter Gabriel and suggested that he just sing his song, “Biko,” without any instrumentation. The streets were filled with people, and every one of them sang along with him.5. “Swallows and Amazons” As a very young kid, I loved the Arthur Ransome novel “Swallows and Amazons.” It’s about a group of children having adventures in England. Now I read it to my grandkids. It’s a beautiful book.6. “Mare of Easttown” Kate Winslet ended up marrying into our family — married my nephew. I think her best performance ever was in “Mare of Easttown.” It’s extraordinarily powerful that she can do a Philadelphia lady and do it so well. I hope she makes a follow-up on that.7. “Sharkwater” A strong documentary can really wake one up. There’s a brilliant documentary called “Sharkwater,” which the late Rob Stewart made to campaign against the mass killing of sharks and other species in the ocean for things like shark fin soup. After I saw it, I started spending a lot of time campaigning to get sharks protected.8. Joe’s Stone Crab I’d rather swim with the fish than fish for fish these days, even though that sounds a bit “Godfather”-ish. When my wife, Joan, and I are in Miami, we like to eat at Joe’s Stone Crab. It’s got the best fish and crab and a lovely atmosphere as well.9. Chess I play lots of chess. And I like chess boards, which you’ll find around every corner of our home. I like boards to be simple, not the Balinese pieces where I don’t know which one is the queen and which one is the king. I started playing with my grandkids when they were quite young, and I let them beat me all the time to keep them interested. But my 7-year-old grandson has been taking lessons, and it was tough going recently, so I decided to beat him. I think he’s now at an age where he’ll want to come back for more.10. Tennis I play every morning and evening with a tennis pro. It’s a good way of being humble because I get beat, morning and evening, every day. More

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      in Television

      Late Night Has Plenty of Virgin Jokes

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      Richard Branson’s spaceflight with his company Virgin Galactic was the talk of late night on Monday.Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night’s highlights that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now.Taking Up SpaceLate-night hosts couldn’t resist poking fun at Richard Branson’s trek into space over the weekend with his company Virgin Galactic, the first in a series of planned trips by billionaire entrepreneurs.“You know these are crazy times when it’s safer flying to space than going on a Carnival Cruise, don’t you think?” Jimmy Fallon joked in his monologue on Monday.“That’s right, Virgin Galactic made history by launching the first goatee into space.” — JIMMY FALLON“Yeah, Branson went with two pilots and three of his employees. So if you think it’s awkward riding an elevator with your boss, try going to space.” — JIMMY FALLON“Actually, I got a little choked up watching Branson’s flight. It always warms my heart to see billionaires achieve their dreams.” — JIMMY FALLON“I was happy for him, though. Normally when a billionaire flies away faster than the speed of sound, it’s because they just got linked to Jeffrey Epstein.” — JIMMY FALLON“That’s right, Branson beat Jeff Bezos to space. That’s why Branson got home and found a little flaming Amazon package on his front porch.” — JIMMY FALLONThe Punchiest Punchlines (Virgin Jokes Edition)“The Virgin flight took about an hour, which is the first time any virgin has ever done anything in an hour.” — ARSENIO HALL, guest host on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”“Branson’s trip to space only lasted about four minutes, which is honestly pretty good for a virgin.” — JIMMY FALLON“Now, technically — technically — Branson’s flight reached the edge of space, and the Virgin Galactic crew experienced only four minutes of weightlessness. He barely went in and lasted only a few minutes? Well, that is a virgin.” — STEPHEN COLBERT“That’s right, the flight went more than 50 miles high to the edge of space. Southwest heard and was like, ‘Big deal. We did that last week when one of our pilots fell asleep.’” — JIMMY FALLON“Eighty kilometers? That’s not even worth mentioning at a party.” — SETH MEYERS“Just ’cause you touched net doesn’t mean you can say you dunked. Branson’s like one of those guys who say, ‘Yeah, I’ve been to Texas’ and then you find out he changed planes once at Dallas-Fort Worth.” — SETH MEYERS“Call me when you’ve reached the moon, Richard. Surprised he didn’t call me yesterday — he’s probably got cell service up there.” — SETH MEYERSThe Bits Worth WatchingSeth Meyers’s “Closer Look” delved into some of the more notable moments from the Conservative Political Action Conference over the weekend.What We’re Excited About on Tuesday NightRichard Branson, just back from space, will check in with Stephen Colbert on Tuesday’s “Late Show.”Also, Check This OutFrom left, Murray Bartlett, Jolene Purdy, Natasha Rothwell, Christie Volkmer and Lukas Gage in “The White Lotus.” The series focuses on the interactions between guests and staff members at a luxury resort.Mario Perez/HBOHBO’s new series “The White Lotus” is a perfectly timed satire of privilege from Mike White, the writer behind the short-lived but beloved show “Enlightened.” More

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      in Music

      Stephen Colbert Adds a Dash of Comedy to Branson's Space Launch

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      In this billionaire space race, slipping the surly bonds of Earth apparently isn’t enough — not without some glitz and a bevy of celebrities.Richard Branson combined private spaceflight with show business on Sunday as he completed his highly-anticipated Virgin Galactic flight high above the New Mexico desert. He enlisted “The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert to introduce segments of a live streamed production, which was delayed around 90 minutes by the weather.Mr. Colbert played up a humorous rivalry he has cultivated with the entrepreneur on his talk shows over the years, and joked about some of Mr. Branson’s failed business ventures, like Virgin Cola.“Seriously, he lost money selling sugar water,” Mr. Colbert quipped. “All aboard.”Later in the production, the Grammy-winning artist Khalid gave a performance in front of a small crowd on an outdoor stage at Spaceport America, which featured the release of his new song, “New Normal.” The musician, appearing in a sequined jacket as machines sprayed mist on a stage, performed three songs.“Look how far we’ve came just as humanity,” he said during the live steam.Around two hours before lifting off, Mr. Branson shared a photo of himself with a shoeless Elon Musk, a billionaire rival in the private conquest of space.“Great to start the morning with a friend,” Mr. Branson said on Twitter.Even Mr. Branson’s arrival at Spaceport America wasn’t lacking for showmanship. Flanked by two white Range Rovers, the British mogul pedaled to the site at daybreak on a bicycle, a video posted by Mr. Branson showed. Once there, other members of the flight’s crew greeted him and joked that he was late.In England, where he was knighted by Prince Charles in 2000, the spotlight did not entirely belong to Mr. Branson, however. Mr. Branson’s space odyssey coincided with the men’s tennis final at Wimbledon on Sunday — historically billed for U.S. television audiences as “breakfast at Wimbledon.”The flight also came just hours before England was set to take on Italy in the soccer finals of Euro 2020, which has drawn the collective attention of many people in Britain. Some on social media suggested that Mr. Branson’s timing was less than ideal.The live stream production was not without its hiccups. The show’s hosts tried to interview Mr. Branson when the plane reached space, but the audio feed wasn’t working. After re-entry, many of his words were garbled as he tried to describe what it was like to visit space. More