| Toby Stephens, 31, the son of Dame Maggie Smith and the late Sir Robert
Stephens, starred in The Camomile Lawn. He is well-regarded as a
Shakespearean actor, particularly for his portrayal of Coriolanus at
the Barbican. He is soon to appear in Japes, directed by Peter Hall.
How do you relax?
I love watching mindless TV, a favourite is Star Trek Voyager. Not
that I'm a trekkie or anything; to wind down I need to lose myself in
something that bears no relation to reality. Failing that, I play my
guitar, badly. I'm all right on the tunes, but I can never remember all
the words, so I don't play in public. Are you still swimming 50 lengths a day outdoors?
Not at the moment. I can't face swimming in cold water. It's so freezing out that I've swapped the pool for the gym.
That sounds healthy, do you have any vices?
Oh yes. I smoke full time - full-strength cigarettes. It can get in
the way of my swimming but, in a strange way, I find exercise helps me
to enjoy my fags more.
Do you have any fears?
I'm terrified of flying. I almost crashed once on the way back from
Italy. One of the wheels wouldn't go down, so they covered the runway
in foam before we landed. Luckily, they managed to get into the hold
and lower it manually. After that experience, I have to numb myself
with Valium on long-haul flights.
Does that mean you don't travel much?
Not at all. I went to New Zealand last year, and I'd love to visit
Brazil. Sadly, I wouldn't get much enjoyment out of its beaches,
though. Having red hair and freckles means I go purple in the sun.
What's the worst job you've ever had?
I worked on one of those huge building sites in Liverpool Street
when I was at drama school. My job involved cleaning the corrosive
chemicals off the corrugated iron ceilings with just a pair of rubber
gloves, a Brillo pad and some spray. It's a wonder I haven't got any
hideous diseases as a result.
It can't have done you too much harm. I hear you won a prize at drama school
I won the stage fighting award. Three of us constructed a very
elaborate comedy brawl involving lots of dying and overacting. We got
the prize, I'm very proud of that.
"Japes" opens at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket on 8 February (2001).
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