Plunkett and Macleane

Jake Scott directed the highwayman romp, Plunkett and Macleane, in which I played Lord Rochester, a bisexual dandy based on a real person from the 18th century. Robert Carlyle (who was a year below mw at the RSAMD) and Jonny Lee Miller played the two highwaymen, and the other cast members included Liv Tyler, Michael Gambon and Ken Stott.

We shot this in Prague in the winter, and I remember being so cold that I cried and smudged my make-up!! I also remember having to wear old lady headscarves to protect my wig from the rain which I did not like at all. Rochester was one of those parts where I just had fun, and no excess was too much it seemed.

It's one of those films that didn't do terribly well when it came out but which has a really devoted following. I think Jake Scott did a great job and had a really interesting and exciting take on what is, let's fact it, a pretty tried and tested story. So bravo to him!

Spice World

The paean to Sporty, Posh, Baby, Scary and Ginger was shot in and around London, and directed by Bob Spiers. I was part of a star-studded cast which included Richard E Grant, Roger Moore, Elton John, Barry Humphries, Jason Flemyng amongst others. I played Piers Cuthbertson-Smyth, a film director who stalks the girls, hoping to use them as documentary subjects.

Eyes Wide Shut

I was really lucky to get the small but perfectly formed role of the hotel desk clerk in Eyes Wide Shut, Stanley Kubrick's last film.

Working with Stanley was a thrilling and surprising experience. Everyone talked about him being this scary, dictatorial sort of person, but I just found him to be one of the most warm, funny, interesting and interested people I had ever met. I felt so comfortable with him and I think that shows in the film. I really let loose with this character and he just encouraged me to go, and to try out new stuff. It was really great to pay so much attention to the nuances of a scene which, on an ordinary film, would have been shot in a day or less. (We took a week to do this scene!)

Tom Cruise was also lovely, so the whole thing is a very special memory for me. Especially because I went into it thinking it was going to be the opposite. And also now that Stanley has gone, I feel so honoured to have worked with someone who has revolutionized the art of film.