As any actor will tell you, the same questions
tend to be asked again and again, so it was suggested this section might
be useful.
Do you consider yourself to be American
or English (since you were born in USA but educated in England)? Where
do your parents come from?
I consider myself to be ‘haff and hawf’. My father was American, born in
Newark, New Jersey, U.S.A. That’s the haff. My mother is English, born in
Sunbury, Middlesex, England – the hawf. I feel equally at home in either country.
Do you have fond memories from where you were educated?
Mmmm. I was quite happy at prep
school (7-12) but absolutely miserable at my public school (Wellington
College) where I was bullied by some of the boys and staff. Some kids
are. That`s just the way it is.
Your religion?
Lapsed Christian.
Do you speak any other language besides
English?
I speak German and French and a little (very little) Italian.
Which movie do you most regret being
cast in?
I don’t regret any films I’ve made, although ‘Leprechaun 4’ was not a
pleasant experience from a physical point of view. I was called daily
around 5am and spent many, many hours in the make-up chair being
tortured by the brilliant special effects artist Gabe Bartelos. The
prosthetic was glued to my body all over from the waist up (back and
front) and was
extremely uncomfortable.
I can think of a lot of films I regret not being cast
in…
Of the actors you have worked with, whom
do you most admire?
In Film: Johnny Depp, Holly Hunter. Theatre: Edward Petherbridge.
TV: Derek Jacobi, Michael Richards, Kenneth Connor.
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Who is your |
favourite actor? |
| Jacques Tati.
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What is your |
favourite film? |
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Jour de Fête. |
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Do you like
reading books? How often you read?
I love books but don`t read as much as I used to.
My eyes aren`t so good any more! I love many writers.
Who is your favourite writer? Favourite book?
P.G. Wodehouse. His books are ALL
my favourites. There is always at least one by my bed.
How do you see your acting
career (and now that you are a producer)?
Difficult. Frustrating. Very exciting!
Would you recommend it to someone?
Not unless they had enormous talent.
'Allo 'Allo!
I have
been eagerly waiting for the rest of the series to come out on DVD. Why
on earth haven't they been released?
I really
can't imagine.
Don't
you have any influence with the BBC?
No. The
BBC moves in mysterious ways its wonders to perform.
Can
you please give at least one memory from the casting for 'Allo 'Allo?
At
the casting I met only the Writer/Producer/Director David Croft and his
then assistant Susie Belbin. At that time no other actors were there. I
read for David and it was entirely his decision to give me the role.
Are the
cast ever going to get back together for a reunion?
Highly
unlikely. We finished shooting in 1992, after all, and have all moved on
to other things. Occasional TV interviews and conventions give us a
chance to re-live the good times.
If you ever had any
adverse reactions from viewers when you played a Nazi?
Hubert was not a Nazi. He was an officer in the
tank corps.
At first there were some complaints in
the press about "making fun of the war". But after a while even the
complainers began to see that we were making fun of everyone - French,
German and English alike. One of our favourite "fan letters" was a
letter written to the Times newspaper by the widow of The White Rabbit -
a famous (English) hero of the French Resistance who was murdered by the
Germans. She said he would loved the show. That was how he survived as
long as he did - humor. Most who lived though that time say the same
thing.
Did you
sing yourself in 'Allo 'Allo?
Yes.
Do you
really play the piano? Because in 'Allo 'Allo! you do seem to be able.
No. I
was miming on a dummy keyboard. The pianist was behind the scenes. I’m
flattered you didn’t know.
Have any
bloopers that happened during the filming been saved as I would imagine
these would be very entertaining to see.
The BBC
has many of these. I don’t. The funniest I can remember is the outtake
reel from the ‘suicide teeth’ scene in the train. I had to do the lines
over and over because the crew were laughing so much. A bit of
trivia... Co-writer Jeremy Lloyd appeared as an extra in this sequence.
Were
there any funny moments during the making of 'Allo 'Allo?
Yes -
the shows.
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