Julian Wadham

On his role as "Urban Mahy" in Island at War (2004): My father fought in the Second World War. He flew Spitfires in the Navy. I've got a photo of him at the age of 18 sitting in a Spitfire looking very much like I did at that age, so I feel quite emotional about the era. Reading the Island at War (2004) script was like revisiting England in my father's early years. "Urban" is quite a dreamy character. He seems as though he is quite lost in life. I've often thought of myself in this way, so I found it easy to relate to him. He's a person in search of a role in life, but reassuringly he finally finds himself. He has two gorgeous daughters, whom he is extremely fond of, and tries his utmost to protect them at all times. The film explores the narratives of many different people involved in the occupation of the Channel Islands. It takes an open view from each perspective and isn't stereotypical of the English or the Germans. It lets you imagine what it was like to be part of a war from many different angles. Show less «

On practicing dance with The English Patient (1996) cast: Isn't that lovely? They gave us fox-trot lessons for this. Of course, I've been to lots of dances in England, but not proper dancing. At Pony club dances in Hertfordshire, you asked a girl to dance, and she knew that that meant you'd find a quiet corner as soon as you could, and remain there with your tongue down her throat till your parents pried you apart, three hours later. Show less «

I want to show just how tough acting can be and how it demands such tremendous levels of commitment. I intend to demonstrate that there's been such a downward pressure on earnings that now indifferent work is paid just as poorly as good work. Only very hot properties can afford to be so high-minded and if you're too purist you can end up unemployed. People should realize that it's not all gloss and bubble and that you're fighting all the line to hang on to your integrity. Show less «

On filming the desert scenes of The English Patient (1996): Oh, yes, we went bonding. Now, I spend most of my life completely shattered. I got to this hotel looking forward to a rest, and Ralph Fiennes said, "I hope you don't mind. I've canceled the luxury hotel and added two nights to the time we spend in the desert". So we drove six hours out into the desert and got on these camels, and my camel kept licking Ralph's camel's arse, and someone said, "I hope this isn't a metaphor for your relationship". Show less «

On boarding-school life: It was all about the survival of the fittest. I still remember the pain of standing as an eight-year-old boy in a gray suit on the platform at Victoria Station waiting for the train to take me away to boarding school. I also remember my brother's first letter home from boarding school as an eight-year-old: "Dear Mr and Mrs Wadham, on one side I sleep next to McConkey, and on the other side I sleep next to a wall." Heartbreaking. Would I ever have sent my own children to boarding school? No, I could never have done that to them. Show less «