Bob Hoskins

Speaker 10:00

Hello, I'm Kirsty Young, and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs archive. For rights reasons, we've had to shorten the music.

Speaker 10:08

The programme was originally broadcast in nineteen eighty eight, and the presenter was Sue Lawley.

Presenter0:31

My castaway this week is an actor and by his own confession a happy man. His happiness has been achieved by a curious route. After a career including stints as a steeplejack, a filing clerk and a circus fire eater, he established himself as a distinguished character actor on television in Pennies from Heaven and on film in The Long Good Friday and Mona Lisa. Since then he's developed even further and he's now one of the hottest properties not only here but in the States too. He is Bob Hoskins. To say you're a happy man, Bob, is a large claim. What what constitutes happiness for you?

Bob Hoskins1:08

Well, two things I think. If you have a good job and you're happy in your work, most people are very happy to have a career.

Bob Hoskins1:16

or if you have like a happy marriage.

Bob Hoskins1:19

Like, they're very happy to have a happy marriage. That's just an element that makes their life worthwhile. I've got both.

Bob Hoskins1:27

Yeah, which is extraordinary.

Presenter1:29

Are you surprised by your success?

Bob Hoskins1:31

It's not something that you can't live in a constant state of surprise, but.

Bob Hoskins1:36

Every now and again.

Bob Hoskins1:37

You sort of think to yourself, Hang on hang on, hang on a minute, walk the wall.

Bob Hoskins1:41

Hang on, there's a limousine outside and there's sort of a

Bob Hoskins1:44

I'm going to meet now, you know well it's like appearing on this.

Bob Hoskins1:48

This is how it solved.

Bob Hoskins1:50

Desert Island Disc I used to listen to this as a kid with Voi Plamley.

Bob Hoskins1:54

And our goddess Posh

Presenter1:57

You don't exactly fulfil the image of a movie star. I think you've I've read you've described yourself as um five foot six and cubic, and somebody else has said, and I don't think you've disputed it, that um you've got a face like a damaged potato. I'm not sure that's true, actually looking at you across the table today, but it's the sort of thing they say. It's not kind of sexy movie star image, is it?

Bob Hoskins2:15

First.

Bob Hoskins2:19

Well, whatever descriptions they make, I'm a short, fat, middle aged man with a broken nose and a bald head. That's me.

Bob Hoskins2:26

So it's not really Sean Connery, is it, is it?

Presenter2:29

Are you therefore even more surprised that you've made it as a as a movie star?

Bob Hoskins2:34

I'm like absolutely amazed.

Presenter2:38

Tell me how you're facing up to being a castaway on our desert island, this famous desert island.

Bob Hoskins2:43

I would hate it.

Bob Hoskins2:45

I would absolutely hate it. I I can't stand it without people.

Bob Hoskins2:50

I I d I you know, I get so lonely.

Bob Hoskins2:53

without people.

Presenter2:54

Is the music gonna help at all?

Bob Hoskins2:56

Oh yeah, well the music will probably make me ten times more sentimental and it just you know.

Presenter3:02

Let's hear the first record, shall we?

Bob Hoskins3:03

Yes.

Bob Hoskins3:04

It's when I see an elephant fly.

Bob Hoskins3:07

The Crows Song from Dambo.

Bob Hoskins3:10

It was like when I first heard this, it was a real lesson in cool. I thought, well, that crow is the coolest thing I'd ever seen in my life. It was wonderful.

Speaker 43:20

I seen a peanut stand and heard a rubber bang. I seen a needle that wigged its out.

Speaker 43:27

But I beat unseen about everything when I see a elephant fly. What'd you say, boy? I said when I see a elephant fly.

Speaker 43:36

I seen the front door swing, heard a diamond ring. I see the polka dot railroad time, but I've been seen by everything when I see a elephant.

Presenter3:49

When I See an Elephant Fly, the crow's song from Walt Disney's Dumbo. Is it true, Bob Hoskins, that when you were born your parents took one look at you and said, That's enough, so you were an only child?

Bob Hoskins4:00

No, no, it's not true at all. I was a very pretty baby. I won a baby contest. I was I was quite a pretty this this face is the result of having too much mouth and not enough to back it up with, you know, but uh

Presenter4:11

What about the one about you getting lost and your aunt um saying to your mother, who thought you'd been kidnapped, with his looks they'll soon bring him back?

Bob Hoskins4:18

You know, it was going about my looks. I say I was very pretty then, right? That was.

Bob Hoskins4:23

I did get lost and and my mum got very upset and my auntie said uh

Bob Hoskins4:28

She said some one's taken him said well, if they have, they'll soon bring him back again.

Bob Hoskins4:32

I was a bit of an anthel as a kid, I think.

Presenter4:34

The best tale about you, though, has to be the one about how you fell into acting.

Bob Hoskins4:39

Well, what happened? I I

Bob Hoskins4:41

A mate of mine was auditioning at Unity Theatre for the Featherpluckers.

Bob Hoskins4:45

And I went along with him.

Bob Hoskins4:48

And they said, right, you're next.

Bob Hoskins4:50

And I went up and read the part and got the lead.

Presenter4:53

The story is you were drunk at the time.

Bob Hoskins4:55

Oh, yeah, it was pretty pretty far gone. I I said it was just my mate who was supposed to audition.

Bob Hoskins5:00

And um

Bob Hoskins5:01

I got the lead in the play and the first night an agent came to see it, Sarah Randle.

Bob Hoskins5:07

And she said, Listen, you've got to take this up professionally. I said, Well, get us a job and I will. And she did, and that was I've never been out of work since.

Presenter5:14

That was twenty years ago.

Bob Hoskins5:15

Twenty years ago, yeah?

Presenter5:16

Never out of works in.

Bob Hoskins5:17

No.

Presenter5:18

That's called talent, isn't it?

Bob Hoskins5:20

I think it's just called sort of perseverance.

Presenter5:23

It's a dollar for luck, isn't it?

Bob Hoskins5:25

Yeah.

Presenter5:25

Let's not skim over the childhood, because are you a genuine cockney?

Bob Hoskins5:30

Now I was born in Scilly, Suffolk.

Bob Hoskins5:33

I was born in Bury St Edmunds.

Presenter5:35

Where's the accent come from?

Bob Hoskins5:36

Well, I was only I was only embarrassing Edmund for two weeks.

Bob Hoskins5:40

I was all brought up in Finsbury Park.

Bob Hoskins5:42

You know, so from two weeks old.

Bob Hoskins5:44

And

Presenter5:44

And and your parents spoke with this this accent as well?

Bob Hoskins5:48

No. No, I didn't they're quite sort of

Bob Hoskins5:51

Normal accent they've got.

Presenter5:53

So where did you get it from?

Bob Hoskins5:54

Off the strait, I suppose?

Presenter5:56

It was a tough childhood, was it?

Bob Hoskins5:58

No, not really. No, it was um

Bob Hoskins6:01

I had a very happy time I hated school.

Bob Hoskins6:04

I loathe school.

Bob Hoskins6:06

But it was sort of uh

Bob Hoskins6:09

I don't know. I j I like I was very happy at home with my mum and dad and sort of

Bob Hoskins6:13

Okay, it was tough. There was all the fights and stuff like that and there was quite a few tough characters around.

Bob Hoskins6:20

But uh I couldn't say that I was particularly tough.

Presenter6:22

But you are a jack the lad.

Bob Hoskins6:24

That was just saucy.

Bob Hoskins6:26

Yeah.

Presenter6:27

Let's have a second record.

Bob Hoskins6:29

But a second record

Bob Hoskins6:31

Is Bad Penny Blues by Humphrey Lyttelton

Bob Hoskins6:34

I picked this record because it's uh

Bob Hoskins6:37

At school the only person I ever really respected was a teacher called mister Jones.

Bob Hoskins6:43

I still see him now. We have have a drink every now and again at at a pub in over Muswell Hill.

Bob Hoskins6:49

But once he t he said to me, Listen, why do you make everybody think that you're such a bad penny?

Bob Hoskins6:54

And at the time Bear Penny Blues was playing, and I've never forgotten it.

Presenter7:59

Bad Penny Blues by the Humphrey Lyttelton band. Bob, we were talking about your accent. Do you ever worry about being stereotyped as the kind of cockney gangster?

Bob Hoskins8:10

No, I've played all kinds of things.

Bob Hoskins8:12

Uh no you'll

Bob Hoskins8:14

Irish?

Bob Hoskins8:15

Cotton cloth?

Presenter8:17

Uh

Bob Hoskins8:17

Uh sweet liberty.

Presenter8:17

Yeah.

Bob Hoskins8:19

No you're Jewish?

Presenter8:20

Now there's another very good story, is this one apocryphal, about the director, the American director, Francis Ford Coppola, bringing you up.

Bob Hoskins8:27

Yeah, oh, well, it was my that was my fault really, because I

Bob Hoskins8:32

He sent me the script for uh the Cotton Club and I'd I'd been sent a lot of scripts before from America and they never come up.

Bob Hoskins8:39

And um

Bob Hoskins8:40

I said, Yeah, if he I believe it, if he phones me up and asks me, you know.

Bob Hoskins8:45

Fine.

Bob Hoskins8:46

Well, I you know, I forgot about it.

Bob Hoskins8:48

And then I ju we just got the kids to sleep.

Bob Hoskins8:51

And it was uh about half past twelve at night.

Bob Hoskins8:55

And the phone went.

Bob Hoskins8:56

And I picks up the phone.

Bob Hoskins8:58

and said, Hello, this is Francis Copla.

Bob Hoskins9:01

I said, yeah, this is Em really April and you've just woken my kids up. Thanks a lot and put the phone down, you know.

Bob Hoskins9:07

Hey, Bob, listen, it's me. You're going to talk to me or what?

Bob Hoskins9:12

Yeah, and uh

Bob Hoskins9:14

I said, Oh, right He said, Oh, hello, how are you? It's yeah, it is you, is it yeah?

Bob Hoskins9:18

He said, we start on Monday.

Bob Hoskins9:21

He said, I want you here on Monday morning. Francis, this is Friday night.

Bob Hoskins9:25

What are you talking about? You know, you want me there for rehearsals on Monday?

Bob Hoskins9:29

He says, yeah, so like that was it.

Bob Hoskins9:33

I've always liked jazz and I've always liked rock, I've well I've always liked most music, but this one

Bob Hoskins9:38

Ray Charles actually linked Pop

Bob Hoskins9:40

And jazz for me.

Bob Hoskins9:42

And the first time I ever heard this, it

Bob Hoskins9:45

It just sent shivers up my spine that I thought of are still going today, and that's What I Say by Ray Charles.

Speaker 49:52

When you see me in misery

Speaker 49:55

Come on then and see what be done.

Speaker 49:59

Hey, hey

Speaker 410:02

Alright

Speaker 410:08

See the girl with the rectess song

Speaker 410:11

She can do the ball that all night long, yeah

Speaker 410:15

What I say

Presenter10:18

Alright.

Presenter10:20

Ray Charles and what I say. Let's talk about your acting. Um we were saying earlier, or I was saying earlier, that you've got a large dollop of natural talent, because you never had any formal training, did you?

Bob Hoskins10:31

No, no.

Bob Hoskins10:33

Right in the beginning so someone said you you gotta have allocation lessons.

Bob Hoskins10:37

and um learn to walk and learn to talk and

Bob Hoskins10:42

act and all the rest of it and

Bob Hoskins10:45

I suddenly realized that I was going to learn to talk like I don't.

Bob Hoskins10:48

Belach I'm not.

Bob Hoskins10:50

I sort of uh

Bob Hoskins10:52

seem like somebody else. So, uh I didn't take any tr drama school train. I just

Bob Hoskins10:58

If I'm going to present something with the kind of

Bob Hoskins11:02

reality that I I would hope to do.

Bob Hoskins11:05

I'm going to have to cling on to some sort of reality in myself.

Presenter11:08

You've acted with Gilgood, haven't you? John Gilgood. I think he he gave you some Tips about comic timing

Bob Hoskins11:14

I had this line that, um

Bob Hoskins11:16

Which

Bob Hoskins11:18

I can't even remember what it was. It was a line and I was getting a laugh, but it wasn't as good as I thought it could be.

Bob Hoskins11:26

And I asked him, you know, what do I do with this line? He said, well, when you come to the line, step back two paces, count two and then say it.

Bob Hoskins11:33

Oh, you've got me joking, did you know no do it

Bob Hoskins11:36

So anyway, we came to London and he was sitting up on this box, you know, stuck up on this box for about twenty minutes.

Bob Hoskins11:42

And I came to the line and he shouted, Just step back two paces and count two. I thought you'd blown it. I stepped back two paces, counted two, said the line, and got a round.

Bob Hoskins11:53

And I can't believe it. And every night.

Bob Hoskins11:55

I used to step back two paces, count two, say the line, and get a round.

Presenter11:59

But it was mechanical, you didn't understand.

Bob Hoskins12:00

No, and I've every single performance I've done ever since, at one point, and I'll always step back two paces, count two, and I've got nothing.

Bob Hoskins12:08

Absolutely nothing.

Presenter12:09

Do you take apart and and read it and think about it and try to live it and and and be it? I mean, you teach yourself.

Presenter12:16

think yourself into it. I mean, is that how you do it, or is it cleverer than that, or more devious than that?

Bob Hoskins12:22

Well it it's a bit of that. I can't explain it. Before I was

Bob Hoskins12:26

I had a known face.

Bob Hoskins12:28

I could usually take the characters I was playing out on the street and try them out on the I even tried Richard the Third out on the street.

Bob Hoskins12:35

Yeah.

Bob Hoskins12:36

Went out to the paper shop and in the pub. Now I can't do it anymore.

Bob Hoskins12:41

You find a

Bob Hoskins12:43

A normality.

Bob Hoskins12:45

in that person which is not.

Bob Hoskins12:48

A normality has got anything to do with you.

Bob Hoskins12:51

It's it of every single character that you play is you go through a very different pro well, I do anyway.

Presenter12:57

'Cause it it's like Arthur Parker in Pennies from Heaven, which was your first big television break, wasn't it? I mean, he was a wonderful character to climb into, presumably.

Bob Hoskins13:05

Oh, very powerful, Karen.

Presenter13:06

Was he?

Bob Hoskins13:07

Incredibly painful character, yeah. Very painful.

Bob Hoskins13:11

Um

Bob Hoskins13:12

Fortunately for me, I just had a nervous breakdown before I played.

Bob Hoskins13:17

If I hadn't, I'd have had a nervous breakdown after playing after.

Bob Hoskins13:23

Why is it like

Bob Hoskins13:25

To understand the grief.

Bob Hoskins13:27

Of a man like that, the grief of a lost life, the grief of an unfulfilled.

Bob Hoskins13:33

To dream the grief of frustration

Bob Hoskins13:36

to realize that

Bob Hoskins13:38

You know, there is no way that this man is going to fulfil.

Bob Hoskins13:42

The spa

Bob Hoskins13:43

It's just it's very painful.

Presenter13:47

Let's have your fourth record.

Bob Hoskins13:50

Um yes. The first time I ever saw Mick Jagger on television

Bob Hoskins13:55

I couldn't believe it. There was a guy, okay, with Ed Presley wig wiggling his hips, but I'd never seen anything like this.

Bob Hoskins14:01

And

Bob Hoskins14:02

I used to stand up in front of the mirror miming to the songs, impersonating Jagger. My mum and dad caught me a few times and thought, All right, Burke.

Bob Hoskins14:10

But I w I never forget going to a dance hall and

Bob Hoskins14:14

I was doing the bits that I'd done in front of the mirror, turn around, and every other fella was doing it as well. Like you've all been in front of the mirror.

Bob Hoskins14:22

You know, and Onki Tonk Women was just bore. That was a real expression. You know, Onki Tonk Women by the Rolling Stones.

Speaker 414:33

Pause and shoulder.

Speaker 414:37

Cause I just can't seem to drink it off my mind.

Speaker 414:49

Oh get to it!

Speaker 414:55

Gila, Gilad, Gilgitzo.

Presenter15:00

Punky-tonk Women by The Rolling Stones. Tell me about your uh friendship with Jonathan Miller, because he's had quite an influence on your life, hasn't he?

Bob Hoskins15:08

Well, not out of my life.

Bob Hoskins15:11

Well, joh I suddenly met him in a bar. Obviously, I was standing at a bar in New York.

Bob Hoskins15:16

And he suddenly walked in. There was this enormous fella. He's like talking to a palm tree, you know, he's enormous.

Bob Hoskins15:25

He sat looking down so he said, Would you like to be an Orthello?

Bob Hoskins15:30

I said yeah, with you, yeah.

Bob Hoskins15:33

He said that Iago.

Bob Hoskins15:36

Fine.

Bob Hoskins15:38

And I I never saw him again. And then then the sort of

Bob Hoskins15:41

It came to the point of doing it.

Bob Hoskins15:43

and The Long Good Friday came out at the same time.

Bob Hoskins15:46

as we started rehearsals.

Bob Hoskins15:48

And I was sort of rehearsing in the morning and then

Bob Hoskins15:51

going and doing publicity for the Longwood Friday in the afternoon.

Bob Hoskins15:54

and coming back in the morning and playing Iago like Harold Shand.

Bob Hoskins15:58

And uh Jonathan said, Right, that's it.

Bob Hoskins16:00

You are not going to read a newspaper.

Bob Hoskins16:03

You are not going to the pub, you are not going to watch the television.

Bob Hoskins16:06

You're going to come and live in my house.

Bob Hoskins16:08

Until we until this is finished.

Bob Hoskins16:12

And he's alright, like he kidnapped me basically. I said, all right, fine, okay.

Bob Hoskins16:17

And it was wonderful it was extraordinary.

Bob Hoskins16:20

He's he like to study a part, like

Bob Hoskins16:24

Ialka.

Bob Hoskins16:26

which is the most perfect study of a psychopath.

Bob Hoskins16:29

With

Bob Hoskins16:31

A Doctor

Bob Hoskins16:33

Who's

Bob Hoskins16:34

And I it it just opened realms of sort of research to me that

Bob Hoskins16:39

I'd never even thought of.

Presenter16:42

You were in a pretty bad state then anyway, weren't you? You as you said earlier, you'd had a nervous breakdown, not

Bob Hoskins16:46

Well by then I'd I'd sort of Verity Bargate broke the breakdown.

Bob Hoskins16:52

I was um going to uh Harley Street.

Bob Hoskins16:55

I get sorted out.

Bob Hoskins16:57

I ran in so middle of it.

Bob Hoskins16:59

Divorce. And then I used to go to the Soho Poly and sort of talk to Verity and a few of the mates there. And she says, You're wasting all your best plots.

Bob Hoskins17:07

You know, why don't you come in my theatre and have a break down here?

Bob Hoskins17:11

She's what? Are you kidding?

Bob Hoskins17:13

She said, no, no, come here, come and do it here. She said, You got anything you can do? Give us a play.

Bob Hoskins17:19

And years ago I'd written a play, a one-man play about literally about a man having a breakdown who's l who's living his life through

Bob Hoskins17:26

A hole in the wall.

Bob Hoskins17:28

Called the bystand.

Bob Hoskins17:29

So I showed it to her. She said, Yeah, let's do that.

Bob Hoskins17:32

And, um we rehearsed it and it came to the first day.

Bob Hoskins17:36

you know, your first lunch time I was gonna do it. I'd say first night, but this is first lunch.

Bob Hoskins17:41

And I was terrified, I was terrified. I thought, I'm going to have a nervous breakdown in front of an audience, I've got to be crazy.

Bob Hoskins17:48

And I was standing over Regents Park talking to the ducks.

Bob Hoskins17:52

And I could see Verity walking towards me across the field. She was furious, and she grabbed hold of me by the scruff of the neck. She said, There's not one duck here paid for a ticket. I've got a theatre full of him in there. Get in

Bob Hoskins18:04

And she sort of ran me back into the theater. I dressed and and did it, and and actually did it.

Bob Hoskins18:09

And it was great. And the audience went potty.

Bob Hoskins18:13

And I walked off the stage and it was gone.

Bob Hoskins18:17

And there she was sitting there with a bottle of champagne, and she poured out two glasses, Well, come a sanity, kid

Bob Hoskins18:23

And you know, so then Jonathan then Jonathan got hold of me and kidnapped me and then sort of he started talking about teasing me about psychopaths, so I was doing okay.

Presenter18:32

So all these all these people put you back together again?

Bob Hoskins18:32

Please

Bob Hoskins18:34

Oh yeah.

Presenter18:35

After a a very traumatic divorce, separation and divorce.

Bob Hoskins18:39

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, divorce is not the nicest time for anybody.

Presenter18:44

We shall have another record. Where have we got to? Your fifth record.

Bob Hoskins18:47

Oh yes. No, we're talking about Jonathan, yeah. Well, um

Bob Hoskins18:52

This is the priest chorus from Mozart's magic flute.

Bob Hoskins18:56

Jonathan introduced me to this. I always took quite light top.

Bob Hoskins19:00

Never didn't know anything about it, but liked it.

Bob Hoskins19:03

And he said, This is extraordinary, listen to this and I bought myself a copy of it.

Bob Hoskins19:08

I l and it it is it is one of the most extraordinary operas I've ever ever heard in my life.

Bob Hoskins19:13

The magic float.

Speaker 419:31

Thank you so much.

Presenter20:06

The priest's chorus from Mozart's magic flute with the chorus and orchestra of the Bayerischen Rundfunks, conducted by Bernard Heitink.

Presenter20:14

You said, um Bob, that you're gonna hate it on this desert island, so I presume you're gonna try and es escape quite a bit.

Bob Hoskins20:19

Oh yeah. I would have to try and escape. I would have to try and get off.

Bob Hoskins20:23

But then again, if people came to rescue me, I w I wouldn't mind people coming and joining me if I had company, it's just being on my own.

Presenter20:31

Are you at all practical?

Bob Hoskins20:32

I'd say, no, I'm not a practical person at all. I'm a totally stupid person. But then again.

Bob Hoskins20:38

I found myself under sort of pressure or the need to be practical, and found myself very practical, surprised myself, you know.

Bob Hoskins20:46

But uh you never know, yeah.

Presenter20:49

Tell me um now about this um box office breaking movie that's about to hit town. It's called Who Framed Roger Rabbit and everybody in it is a cartoon character except you, isn't it?

Bob Hoskins20:59

Well not everybody, no. No, it's a mixture of reality and uh cartoon, but it's done in a way that's

Bob Hoskins21:06

Never been done before with a like a moving camera.

Bob Hoskins21:10

And using techniques that have never been used before. It is quite extraordinary. I I must admit, I went to see it and I forgot I was in it.

Bob Hoskins21:18

I d I literally did. It was sort of um

Bob Hoskins21:22

you after after about ten, twenty minutes, you forget that these things are cartoons.

Presenter21:26

But how did you act with them? I mean presumably you've just got to go in and act to a blank wall.

Bob Hoskins21:31

And then they put the

Presenter21:31

And then they put the animations in after

Bob Hoskins21:33

Yeah.

Bob Hoskins21:35

If you've

Bob Hoskins21:36

The the camera can see where your eyes are looking.

Bob Hoskins21:40

And if you're if you haven't got anything in front of your eyes, your eyes open up, so it's obvious that you're not looking to something close.

Speaker 421:46

Hmm.

Bob Hoskins21:47

So you have to learn to hallucinate.

Bob Hoskins21:50

And Rosa taught me how to do it. My daughter, she was three at the time.

Bob Hoskins21:55

And she's got all these invisible friends that she talks to. I've been accused of sitting on'em now and again and stuff like that. But after doing it for sixteen hours a day for six months, I lost control of it.

Bob Hoskins22:06

and there were sort of weasels and rabbits and all sorts of things coming out in very weird places.

Presenter22:10

Well you were hallucinating. Oh yeah.

Bob Hoskins22:11

Oh yeah.

Presenter22:11

Naturally.

Bob Hoskins22:12

Yeah, all over the place. I couldn't stop it.

Presenter22:14

How did you get rid of them?

Bob Hoskins22:16

Uh Linda took me away. She took on holiday, yeah. She did right and they took me to Barbados.

Presenter22:18

The one

Bob Hoskins22:21

And uh rouse us all debrief me.

Presenter22:25

They say this film is gonna be a as big a box office hit as E. T. I mean, presumably that makes you a multi-millionaire, does it?

Bob Hoskins22:32

A multi-millionaire?

Presenter22:33

Yeah.

Presenter22:34

Well, a million isn't so much money these days, after all. I mean, to say somebody's a millionaire isn't to say a lot these days.

Bob Hoskins22:39

Yes, but the point is when you consider that the film costs if it costs fifty million

Bob Hoskins22:45

It's got to make what is it, six times its original.

Speaker 422:49

Hmm.

Bob Hoskins22:50

So you're talking about three hundred million or two hundred and fifty million.

Bob Hoskins22:55

Before anybody's or

Bob Hoskins22:57

She's a penny and certainly not the artist. The artist is the last one to be paid.

Presenter23:02

However, when you go down the pub these days, you're probably a damn sight richer than most of your mates in there.

Bob Hoskins23:06

Oh, yes, oh yes, yes, oh yes, it's all it's extraordinary when you see your bank account down against it. How much?

Presenter23:14

What do they say down the poem? I mean, do they just accept you as

Presenter23:17

Bob Hoskins they've always known and loved, or do they think here comes the Megastar?

Bob Hoskins23:23

Um they seem very unimpressed. I I've walked in there with a load of reviews once from America.

Presenter23:28

Oh yeah, look at this, look, know what they're saying about me.

Bob Hoskins23:30

Yeah, yeah, sure, Rand.

Presenter23:34

It's your record. Which number are we on? Um number six we're on.

Bob Hoskins23:38

Bow six, yeah, this is um Imagine by John Lennon. Simply because

Bob Hoskins23:43

I love it. It's a wonderful song. John Lennon was like a friend. I don't know. I don't know if anybody else felt that, but I did. He was like a sort of mate on mine.

Bob Hoskins23:51

And where are you going?

Bob Hoskins23:52

Sort of shock. It was the first time that I'd ever felt grief.

Bob Hoskins23:56

For someone I didn't know.

Bob Hoskins23:58

But every time I hear this, it just breaks me out.

Speaker 424:02

Mad

Speaker 424:04

No heaven

Speaker 424:07

See if you try.

Speaker 424:15

Yeah.

Speaker 424:16

Better.

Speaker 424:22

Bubbles only sky

Speaker 424:27

Imagine all the people

Presenter24:32

John Lennon, seeing, Imagine.

Presenter24:35

On the personal front, Bob, your passions in life, as I understand, have included booze and women, but that's all behind you now. This family life is for you.

Bob Hoskins24:44

I don't know, everybody says my passions in life include booze and women as ours is sort of

Bob Hoskins24:49

Rev in lonery.

Bob Hoskins24:51

My women have mostly been one at a time, you know what I mean?

Bob Hoskins24:54

I was not very good at sort of having loads of lavas'cause I think emotionally I get very confused.

Bob Hoskins25:00

And, uh, yeah, I like a drink. I like a drink as well as anybody else, but I've never had a dry out, so I I'm not an alcoholic or anything like that.

Presenter25:09

But as I understand it, I mean, it was Linda, your your second wife, who brought a kind of sense of of order to your

Presenter25:16

slightly chaotic life who sort of well made sense of it.

Bob Hoskins25:18

What a sense.

Presenter25:19

Damn.

Bob Hoskins25:20

Just a centre? Yes, a home.

Bob Hoskins25:23

Like home isn't houses and it isn't countries and it is

Bob Hoskins25:27

The family, but to me, anyway.

Bob Hoskins25:29

Kina.

Bob Hoskins25:30

It's Linda's my home.

Presenter25:33

But success can mean that you see less and less of your family. I mean, if you have to go abroad to the States or wherever to make films, you're away.

Bob Hoskins25:41

It's getting a bit difficult now now that the kids are at school, but until now.

Bob Hoskins25:45

I've always taken them with me, they've always gone everywhere with me.

Bob Hoskins25:48

But uh now I'm cutting it down a lot.

Presenter25:51

Shall we have another record?

Bob Hoskins25:53

The seventh record is um Moanin by Lambert, Hendricks and Ross.

Bob Hoskins25:57

Not so long ago I I met Annie Ross. She's been one of my idols ever since I got interested in real jazz.

Speaker 426:04

They moan and find me moaning Cause of all the trouble I see Life's a losing gamble to me Cares and woes have got me moaning

Speaker 126:20

Yes, Laura.

Presenter26:31

Monin' by Lambert, Hendricks and Ross. It's quite a cool, smoochy, mellow jazz island, this, isn't it?

Bob Hoskins26:38

Yeah. I like a bit of that.

Presenter26:40

Can I get rid of that?

Presenter26:41

They compare you with um with James Cagney and with with Edward G. Robinson. Are those a kind of comparisons you welcome? You like you

Bob Hoskins26:48

Yeah.

Presenter26:48

Okay.

Bob Hoskins26:49

Yeah, if anybody said that about you, how would you? Well, not too much, really. I mean.

Presenter26:53

I've seen

Bob Hoskins26:54

If you was me, how would you feel?

Presenter26:56

Yeah, well I you know, you may not like it.

Bob Hoskins26:56

And well I

Presenter27:00

I mean, it's just that people have the image of you as being this kind of

Presenter27:04

gangster, tough guy, when in fact you're you know a writer, you can write a bit of poetry, you care, you feel, all those things. I mean you're a real person, that's all I'm trying to say.

Bob Hoskins27:12

Oh no, no.

Speaker 127:13

Yeah.

Bob Hoskins27:14

Yeah, but that's a lot of time to see.

Speaker 127:15

Yeah.

Bob Hoskins27:15

That's the accent.

Bob Hoskins27:17

It's extraordinary, being a cottony.

Bob Hoskins27:21

A lot of people change from being a company to be something else.

Bob Hoskins27:24

But I've I've found that actually being a cockney is a big bonus.

Bob Hoskins27:28

Because as you get older you cease to worry about what people think of you.

Bob Hoskins27:32

and you care more about what you think of them.

Presenter27:35

So what what happens next when you escape from this island, which you are determined to do? Are you going back to the theatre, or back to film, or is there a hamlet waiting to get out there?

Bob Hoskins27:45

Hamlet, now.

Presenter27:46

Hmm.

Bob Hoskins27:47

I don't know. I've never I've never planned anything. I've never I've never had sort of

Bob Hoskins27:51

A planned career or a campaign of what I'm going to do. It's just, it's like I like the work so much that.

Bob Hoskins27:58

It's just job for job for me.

Presenter28:00

What do you think, um Robert William Hoskins of Finsbury Park?

Presenter28:05

aged fifteen, would have thought if they'd told him he was gonna be a famous movie star.

Bob Hoskins28:11

Uh

Bob Hoskins28:12

I dunno, depends how you caught him.

Bob Hoskins28:14

There's one point if he was in one of his arrogant moods, yeah, well of course.

Bob Hoskins28:18

And uh another one who wouldn't believe you.

Presenter28:21

But it's quite nice, and he's glad he's got there.

Bob Hoskins28:23

Oh yes. Oh yes.

Presenter28:25

Your last record.

Bob Hoskins28:26

Oops.

Bob Hoskins28:27

My last record is uh Samuel Barber's Adagio for String.

Bob Hoskins28:31

To me this is the most religious music I've ever heard. But my mum and dad were sort of socialists and very

Bob Hoskins28:38

They used to send me to Sunday school so they could have a free Sunday afternoon, you know what I mean? And I'd find religion like in that form rather difficult to believe. But when I heard this piece of music, I dunno, it made me think, Well, you never know.

Presenter29:52

Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings played by the Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields conducted by Neville Mariner.

Presenter30:00

Well, now you have to decide, Bob. If you could only have one of those records, which one would it be?

Bob Hoskins30:06

Ha ha ha ha ha.

Bob Hoskins30:08

I think it would probably be the Adagio.

Bob Hoskins30:11

I think so.

Presenter30:13

It's very moving.

Bob Hoskins30:14

Hm, yeah.

Presenter30:16

And what book would you like to take? We give you the complete works of Shakespeare.

Bob Hoskins30:20

Yeah.

Presenter30:20

Yeah. And the Bible.

Bob Hoskins30:22

Oh, it'd have to be something modern, wouldn't it? And something quite large, bulky.

Bob Hoskins30:27

After that long, I was funny, I was saying catch twenty-two, that's what I'd like. That's not very bad.

Bob Hoskins30:32

Well, it's pretty big a joke and took me a couple of weeks to read it.

Presenter30:37

And a luxury. You can have one luxury, but it must be inanimate, it can't be of any practical use.

Bob Hoskins30:42

A really nice telescope.

Presenter30:45

You can have it if you promise just to look at the stars and the scenery and not to search for a ship to save you by.

Bob Hoskins30:51

No.

Bob Hoskins30:52

Oh no, what I'm saying is that.

Presenter30:53

Just a start to steer you guys.

Presenter30:56

Now you can have a telescope.

Bob Hoskins30:57

Can I?

Presenter30:58

Yes.

Bob Hoskins30:59

Is I bought a telescope recently and I've really got fascinated with looking at the moon. It's extraordinary.

Presenter31:05

I can think of no better pastime. That's that's very good. You can have that.

Bob Hoskins31:07

Yeah.

Bob Hoskins31:09

Oh, thank you.

Presenter31:09

All right.

Presenter31:10

Paul Hoskins, thank you very much for sharing your desert island discs with us. Thank you.

Bob Hoskins31:15

Thank you.

Speaker 131:23

You've been listening to a podcast from the Desert Islandists archive. For more podcasts, please visit bbc.co.uk/slash radio four.