RUSSELL TOVEY - No.746

Q&A: Russell Tovey

The Guardian, Saturday 2 October 2010

Rosanna Greenstreet

Russell Tovey, 28, was born in Essex. He began his career as a child actor in the CBBC series Mud. He went on to play George in Being Human and his other TV credits include Doctor Who, Gavin & Stacey, Little Dorrit and Ashes To Ashes. In 2004, Tovey originated the role of Rudge in Alan Bennett's play The History Boys at the National Theatre. He stars in Him & Her, a new comedy series, which starts on BBC3 on 13 September.

When were you happiest?
Being an uncle brings me utter joy.

What is your greatest fear?
Not being able to stop my parents getting old.

Which living person do you most admire, and why?
This changes every day. Presently I really admire Rebecca Warren, the artist. She continues to keep creating wonderful sculpture. And I met her and she is really cool.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Being so brilliant, it's draining.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Lying.

What is your most treasured possession?
My family.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?
My skin – it's good now, but when I was younger I had really bad acne. Dermalogica has saved my face.

If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would it be?
Queen Elizabeth I.

Who would play you in the film of your life?
Wayne Rooney.

What is your favourite smell?
Armpits.

What is your favourite word?
"Juxtaposition."

Cat or dog?
Cog.

What is the worst thing anyone's said to you?
"You are more Littlewoods than Hollywood."

What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Ginger beer and Silk Cut cigarettes.

To whom would you most like to say sorry, and why?
My Nan. She got a mobile phone about three weeks before she died and was waiting for me to call her on it. I never got around to it and I regret it terribly.

What was the best kiss of your life?
I once snogged Frances de la Tour – that was surprisingly hot.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
"That's hot!" "I blame Paris Hilton."

What is the worst job you've done?
Hairdresser's junior – there are only so many times you can wash someone's hair before you hate them.

What has been your biggest disappointment?
Never learning to play the piano.

If you could go back in time, where would you go?
To visit Picasso in the early days and buy all his paintings, stop in on Giacometti, then Jean-Michel Basquiat, and finally, go to the opening of Damien Hirst's Freeze show.

How often do you have sex?
Once a day, even if it has to be solo.

What single thing would improve the quality of your life?
A naturally buff body.

What song would you like played at your funeral?
Remember Me, by Diana Ross.

What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Be nice to people and look after your relationships.

Tell us a joke.
What's an Essex girl's favourite wine? "I wanna go to Lakeside".

Tell us a secret.
I was born ginger.