RUSSELL TOVEY - No.30

Russell Tovey - picture from Tintin In Tibet

RT: I always loved Tintin, from about 10 years old, when I bought a couple of old books at a bring-and-buy sale (I still have them). I went to France in the first year of senior school and he was everywhere. I got a bit obsessed, mainly because of the artwork - I've always been a massive Pop Art fan. I ended up buying erasers and rulers and anything with his image on it.

I was really daunted before playing him in the Young Vic's production of Tintin in Tibet last year (2006) - how do I bring to life a character that has been in people's hearts for decades and who they have projected their own personality on? In the end we decided to keep my natural accent - I'm from Essex - and I'm really pleased we did. I'm not sure that most people would imagine Tintin as Cockney, but it felt like I had my own personal mark on the character.

I loved playing him, just because of the audiences of kids who looked at you as if you were a hero, reminding me of going to Disney World on my birthday as a child and meeting Mickey Mouse.