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The actor Phoenix Buchanan is the main antagonist of the 2017 film Paddington 2.

He steals the Pop-Up book and tries to use it in order to find all the clues around London so that he can be rich and famous (first succeeded then failed).

Buchanan is portrayed by Hugh Grant.

History[]

Early Life[]

Phoenix Buchanan was born in London in 1945. His grandfather was a magician, who spent his entire life searching for the Pop-up book.

He was a famous actor in the 60s/70s, as a west end "legend". Though soon his fame decertified, and he soon started doing dog food commercials.

Paddington 2 (2017)[]

When the Kozlova Steam Fair comes to London, Madame Kozlova sends Mr. Gruber a box of items to sell while in town. Paddington discovers a pop-up book of London, which he wants to buy for Aunt Lucy's hundredth birthday. He resolves to find himself a job. When the Browns go to the Steam Fair, Paddington meets Phoenix Buchanan, who has just moved in to Windsor Gardens and is an important client of Mr. Brown. Phoenix and Paddington open the fair together and Paddington tells Phoenix of his wish to buy Aunt Lucy the pop-up book. Phoenix seems interested in the book. After a pep talk from Phoenix, Paddington decides to become a window cleaner.

Paddington Brown saves up money to buy the pop-up book for his Aunt Lucy's birthday, but a thief breaks into the antique store where it is held and steals it. The thief escapes, and Paddington is arrested for the crime. After a short trial, he is sent to prison.

It turns out that the book holds clues to the whereabouts of a fortune, and Phoenix Buchanan's stage costumes provide the disguises he needs to find the clues anonymously. Meanwhile, the Browns begin to suspect him. They use recordings of Phoenix's agent Felicity Fanshawe to get him out of his house, where they eventually find his costumes and the book in his attic. However, the police need the pop-up book with Phoenix's fingerprints on it in order to prove that Phoenix is the culprit.

With the help of inmates Knuckles, Phibs, and Spoon, Paddington escapes from prison and talks to the Browns on the phone. They have no clue of Phoenix's whereabouts, but Paddington tells the Browns that the last page of the pop-up book reads "When All Your Dreams Come True"Mary Brown realizes that the same thing was written on Phoenix's scratch paper, which she found while investigating his house. The Browns see the same words on the organ in the newspaper and realize that the organ is where the treasure is hidden, therefore Phoenix is heading for the Kozlova train with the organ onboard. Henry Brown then tells Paddington to head for the train station because if they can retake the book from Phoenix then it will prove that he is the real thief. 

Paddington gets on board the train with Phoenix. Phoenix tries to access the fortune in the organ, but Paddington and the Browns confront him. He then locks Paddington in another carriage and separates it so it plunges into a river. Mr. Brown, however, is able to knock out Phoenix using his coconut shy skills. Meanwhile, Paddington nearly drowns, but Mrs. Brown along with Knuckles and his fellow inmates rescue him.

Paddington's name is cleared and Phoenix is arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison. However, he is allowed to continue his acting career in prison, and the show he puts on appears to be very well-received by his fellow inmates, providing Phoenix with a sense of the renewed fame and appreciation for his work that he had desired for so long (albeit obviously not in the way he had intended or foreseen).

Appearance[]

Phoenix believes his best feature is his "dazzling blue eyes", which he comments on multiple times throughout the film. He wears clear, orange glasses. He is often wearing a suit, tie and hat in his everyday life. Sometimes he disguises himself as popular characters from theatre so he can trespass and commit crimes while incognito.

Abilities[]

  • Stage Combat: Due to his experience in the theatre, Phoenix is a Level 4 in Stage Combat, which is the highest level. This level implies that he knows how to use a sword and dagger, single sword, and defend himself whilst unarmed.[1]
  • Disguise: Throughout Paddington 2, Phoenix dons a series of disguises that prevent the Browns (or anyone else) from identifying him.
  • Acting: Required onstage and onscreen, Phoenix's ability to act was also helpful in the courtroom, when he gave a falsified testimony that led to Paddington's incarceration.
  • Basic Magic/Illusion: Phoenix disappears in a puff of smoke at Windsor Gardens after stealing the pop-up book. Since the Magician was his grandfather, it is suggested that some of his ancestor's skills were passed down to Phoenix.
  • Can eat dog food without dying: In his advertisement for Harley's Gourmet Dindins, Phoenix samples some of the dog food which is 'not to be consumed by humans' and survives.

References[]


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