Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
Actor, writer, director; won Best Actress at Cannes for 'Nil by Mouth'; co-created Kevin and Perry with Harry Enfield.
On the island
Eight records
Bad RomanceFavourite
Well, to me, this is the latest genius on the block, which is Lady Gaga. I think Lady Gaga is a great performance. And this track in particular, I just think is brilliant. And you cannot help but get up and dance. And when I'm on the island, I want to dance.
Well, of course I had to have the specials because, um, Jerry Dammers. Again, just a bit of a genius. And this was a really important time for me, 79, 80. I love the specials, and this is Gangsters.
And my brothers would be like, Why are you talking like that? And it was really difficult because I'm a massive Smiths fan. So this was the hardest track for me to decide actually. It's like what to me is a great Manchester Anthem and its um joy division, Lovell Terrorist Apart.
Well, I think I've talked about all that, you know, how this music. I really do think it changed my life.
This reminds me of Horton Mansions, these great flats that I grew up in, that had three big expanses of green grass. It was always wonderful in the summer. All the kids would be out. And we had so much freedom running in and out of the blocks of the flats, and this just takes me right back to those really happy days, and it's T Rex Ride White Swan.
It is because of my darling friend, Tilly. I'm blessed with good friends. And Tilly has been a constant in my life for nearly 30 years now. And Tilly finally married her boyfriend of like 18 years aide about 10 years ago. And this was the song that we all had to sing.
Well, we're going to hear gor I I love Damon Alburn, always have done. And my nephew Louie, who's nine, is a massive fan of the gorillas. So that's why we're going to have gorillas and Clint Eastwood.
Okay, well, this is again, it's about being on the desert island and what I want to dance to. And again, another genius from across the pond, Missy Elliott.
In conversation
Presenter asks
1:46Do you not mind presenting yourself in a way that most actresses would shy away from?
When I was acting I didn't mind at all really. To me it was more fun, putting some scabs on and greasing the hair rather than washing the hair and distressing the clothes rather than making sure the clothes were nice and pristine. It was always quite nice really.
Presenter asks
2:15Have you absolutely closed the door on [acting] now?
Well, I'll never say never, but I just thought I'd take a couple of years out and it's now turned into eight, nearly nine years. So it's sort of taken me by surprise how quickly this time has gone. I probably would like to go back at some point, but when I don't know, and what it'll be, I don't know.
Presenter asks
2:44Were lots of people who knew you well puzzled by the decision [to walk away from acting]?
Well, people that knew me really well, they weren't puzzled by the decision. I got more of a buzz out of directing than acting. And basically, I mean, I don't wish to sound ungrateful, but when everything started to really kick off for me, you know, after getting the award at Cannes, it suddenly seemed to get out of my control. And what I always loved was being in control. And then to be suddenly inundated with scripts and ideas and films can be made if you're attached to them. I just started to feel a bit suffocated, really.
The keepsakes
The book
The Complete Works of Graham Linehan
Graham Linehan
Well, I'd like a bit of a laugh, actually, if I've got the Bible and Shakespeare. So I'd like the complete works of Graham Linehan, who wrote Father Ted, Black Books, and. The it crowd all is writing. I'm just a a a proper fan.
The luxury
A life-size laminated photograph of James Caan
Well, my luxury is this was quite hard because I thought Fags, what do I need? You know, what's going to keep me going? But I think I'll find something to smoke, I'll find something to eat. So I need something nice to look at. I don't know how to say this. That sounded salacious. I find deeply attractive. James Kahn from Dragon's Den. I think he is adorable. But what I would like is a life size photograph of him. And I'd like it laminated so I can body surf on him.
Presenter asks
9:21Paint me a picture of where you lived and how you lived.
Well, I lived in quite wonderful flats, actually, looking back on it, called Horton Mansions in Islington. But mum died, I can't remember the year, but I was coming up for two. And I've got two elder brothers and my dad, Pat. And Pat did have a drinking problem. So that was quite tough at times. There was always this threat over my head of not having a mum so I could end up in a home, you know.
Presenter asks
15:30How did you deal with [being an awkward teenager] at the time in real life?
I don't know. I don't think I dealt with it very well. I just think I was just miserable and moody and spotty and fed up and I hated school. But my Saviour, I think, was punk. And I was looking at people, you know, and I thought, well, they look like a mess. They don't look, they've got spots and they're not pretty, they're not glamorous people. And I felt sort of a bit maleish rather than female, you know. So then it was great, and I could suddenly shave my head and wear army trousers and DM boots, and then everything sort of evened out for me. It was nice.
Presenter asks
32:00Do you find it difficult to have relationships?
Yeah, I wasn't made for relationships really. See, we're always told, you know, everyone should be in a relationship because that's what we're told. And for years I was in a lot of sort of upset and unhappiness with myself because I thought I was a freak because I didn't do relationships.
“I never really watched myself, really. You know, you think you felt something with such intensity, and then when you watch it, it's not coming through, you know?”
“I learnt very quickly how to use not having a mother. You know, if I was upset about something, like I wanted a Mars bar, I knew I had to turn on the waterworks and say, I miss my mum. Pretty disgusting. But I do think it's child survival, really.”
“I think Perry is probably the closest I've ever played to myself, really, because I was quite an awkward teen. I hated being a teenager. I really hated it.”
“I'm not here to sort out someone else's bleeding life.”