Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
Actor best known for authentic tough guy geezer roles; also played Henry VIII, Magwitch, and Beowulf.
On the island
Eight records
This is my party piece and uh I guess if I was alone on a desert island this is what I'd be singing to myself before I went crazy. It's uh I've got you under my skin. And I kind of sing this to my wife, you know, when I'm a little bit inebriated at parties.
Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)
my my mum used to sing this to me when I was a little boy. So this is this holds great memories for me.
PinocchioFavourite
this is close to my heart'cause this is my daughter's band. So I'd want to take a bit of my Lois with me, as I will all my daughters.
Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana
Orchestra Lirica e Coro della Cetro di Torino
I remember going to see this film, The Raging Bull, with a mate of mine and we're supposed to be tough guys and uh we sat and watched this film which is actually not about boxing in a way, it's about people. It's probably one of my favourite films of all time, but it's a film we we cried to, you know. It meant something to us and this music just about tops it off.
It kind of reminds me of Do unto others as they do unto you. You know, what goes around comes around. So at the end of your day, when you sit back and you can say, Well, you know what, I was alright, I wasn't too bad. So this song kind of reminds me of that.
I've been singing this with my my little girl since she was a little baby. And it's Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush and it's called Don't Give Up. I don't know, it's just it's just a great memory of my my oldest girl growing up.
I thought it was just about a song about a junkie, you know, and then I started listening to the words probably. And it just reminded me of, you know, of watching your mum pass away. Um, I I watched my mum for a c a couple of years, you know, through cancer. And I was lucky enough to have the last day with her, you know, and have a chat with her. But you know, it just there was nothing you could do. There was there was no drugs. That could on this planet for it doesn't matter if you're a multi multi-millionaire could have could have changed this, you know? And it's although it's a very sad song, it's a beautiful song.
this is one of my favourite songs of all time and I've got about 12 people, different people singing this song but for me you couldn't be on a desert island without the velvet voice of Net King Cole so the song is Stardust which is one of my all-time favourite songs.
In conversation
Presenter asks
1:18I'm wondering how you are as an actor sitting in front of a microphone without a script, just chatting about yourself. Is that comfortable?
It's comfortable when you're having a conversation. It depends what the questions are and it depends who's asking them. When you're in a situation of being asked questions … You get deja vu like you've been asked the same question again. It's much more comfortable when it's just a discussion.
Presenter asks
1:50What do you think people's biggest misconception about you is?
I I think the tough guy thing is is probably what it is, but that doesn't wor worry me because I kinda came to the conclusion that if that's what the public think I am when I'm playing those characters, then I'm playing the character right.
Presenter asks
2:56What's your criteria these days for work? Is it the director? Is it the script?
I've never really worried about the uh what the director is. The scripts is everything. I've probably worked with more first time directors than anything. What I love about them is they they don't particularly know the rules, so they break'em. And when you break rules you invent things.
The keepsakes
The luxury
Presenter asks
5:21What are your very first memories of life at home? As a real little titch?
Sunday mornings we had a pink and white pie record player and it would be Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Jack Jones, Tony Bennett and that you'd wake up on a Sunday mornings to that and dad had already been out and got the Bigels and the paper and you know, it was just the way of life and you'd be listening to Judy Garland somewhere over the rainbow or Tony Bennett. So it was a house of of music. It was a loud house. I mean you know there it there'd be rows but the making up would be wonderful. There's always someone coming in and someone going out and and my street was kinda like that, you know. We walked about as kids. You're six, seven years of age. You'd be walking around the corner down the road, you know, and everyone would kinda keep an eye on you.
Presenter asks
6:48You lived with your grandparents for a year when you were a teenager. How did that come about? What happened?
Oh, I had a my mum and dad went on holiday and uh I had a they told me not to have a party and I had a party and the place got wrecked and and they came home and I was kicked out and uh I went and lived with granddad for a year.
Presenter asks
14:27Where do you go on a set just before they roll the cameras to get to that place [of extreme violence]?
It's a very good question. For me, I mean it's different in every film, whatever you do. It's obviously something you can't take home with you. Some actors need to live the part all the time. I I'd find that impossible. I think that I'd go crazy. The the thing with that is, I I found that I had to go to the other side the other end of the scale and laugh. And really like mess around and then just before you're gonna do it, bang, just go from one end of it to the other really quick. When you make a film like that, for me, I had to enjoy it, I had to have fun doing it. So for me it was like literally talking about football, talking about anything but what we were about to do, and then just go whomp. And it's the same if I'm playing something funny. I go really miserable before.
“I I think the tough guy thing is is probably what it is, but that doesn't wor worry me because I kinda came to the conclusion that if that's what the public think I am when I'm playing those characters, then I'm playing the character right.”
“he he came round to see my dad and there was a few people there and uh he picked me up and I weed all over his raincoat, he had a brand new raincoat and everyone kind of went quiet and uh then Ronnie laughed and everyone laughed and I guess he went off then and had his raincloak cleaned.”
“I found that I had to go to the other side the other end of the scale and laugh. And really like mess around and then just before you're gonna do it, bang, just go from one end of it to the other really quick.”
“Eeeeha! And they all turn round in the middle of this rehearsal and just with their jaws open look at them as he would say, What is he doing? And I had to go back to explain. I said, I've always wanted to do that since I was sort of five.”
“it just reminded me of, you know, of watching your mum pass away. Um, I I watched my mum for a c a couple of years, you know, through cancer. And I was lucky enough to have the last day with her, you know, and have a chat with her.”