What’s Common Ground about?
It’s a series of short films. Mine’s about an ex-rock’n’roll tour manager who has survived a lifetime of drug abuse and drink and lives with his daughter and son-in-law. He’s a colourful character.
Is he based on any of your friends?
I used to have a wonderful driver who is no longer with us and there’s more than a bit of him in it. He’s an amalgam of people I’ve met and my imagination.
Would you like to do more with the character?
Oh yes, there’s so much more mileage in this character and I’m not often asked to do comedy. In this business, if you’ve been reasonably good at something you get offered more of the same.
How are you perceived?
Rather dark, serious and aristocratic. It’s a complete misconception – there’s nothing aristocratic about me.
Was it annoying when people started seeing you that way?
It’s never been annoying; some of it is down to how my face is put together. I’ve earned a reasonably good living from it.
Are you a victim of typecasting?
I don’t feel I’m the victim of anything and I’m not typecast to the extent that someone who has played the same character on a soap opera for 25 years would be.
Game Of Thrones has been another big hit for HBO. What are your thoughts on the state of British TV?
It seems to be getting better. Every now and then we’ll come up with something really good – the tried and tested format of Downton Abbey goes on and The Hour is very well made. Secret State was pretty bloody good but we also turn out a load of s*** – I’m thinking principally of the worst of reality TV, which is mind-numbing.
Do you ever watch reality TV?
Only Gareth Malone’s choir shows – his love of what he does and his enthusiasm is infectious and he finds great talent in people who probably think they didn’t have any. That’s the only one I watch. I think the rest is s***e.
What inspired you to become an actor? I had fun doing it at primary school then later I thought I’d try to make a living from it. I enjoyed being the centre of attention. I like approbation. Any actor who tells you they don’t is lying.
What was your first professional role?
In a play called You’re Welcome To My Wife. It was part of a ten-week season of weekly rep plays at the Prince Of Wales Theatre in Colwyn Bay in around 1970. I was earning money as an actor and it felt as though I was coming home and had found my kind of people.
What lessons has 40 years in showbiz taught you?
Take the work seriously but don’t take myself seriously and don’t forget how fortunate I am to be doing a job I love.
Was there a time when you did take yourself too seriously?
Absolutely but it didn’t last long and I learned some valuable lessons. It was when Jewel In The Crown came out and you couldn’t pick up a magazine or newspaper without seeing a boring interview with me in it. It went to my head. I saw the effect all that exposure had on my wife and children. They were being scrutinised and getting a lot of attention they didn’t ask for.
How are your directing plans progressing?
I’ve got some projects but I don’t want to talk about them until they happen. I got a lot of energy from directing the film Ladies In Lavender. You wonder if you have the stamina because as an actor you can lounge around the trailer during the scenes you’re not in but as a director you’re there from first thing in the morning to last thing at night every day of the week. I found it incredibly energising.
What can you play on your ukulele?
I mostly play old period songs as they suit a ukulele more. I bought it when I saw the tribute concert to George Harrison. Joe Brown came on and sang I’ll See You In My Dreams and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. I thought: ‘I’d love to play that,’ and went out, bought myself a ukulele, downloaded the chords and the lyrics and that was the first thing I learned to play.
Common Ground is on Sky Atlantic in February
http://metro.co.uk/2013/01/07/charles-dance-theres-nothing-aristocratic-about-me-despite-what-people-think-3338691/
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