The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Getting to know you
Ahead of his appearance in The Croft at Perth Theatre, actor Drew Cain talks career changes and love of The Prisoner
Q Who do you admire most?
A My wife, Catherine. Her work ethic, level of patience and emotional intelligence is phenomenal. She is inspirational!
Q Which actors inspire you? A Paul Newman has always been my favourite actor. He made it look so easy. I admire the versatility of Mark Rylance. He’s a chameleon of an actor blessed with an exceptional talent. Q If you hadn’t been an actor what would you have liked to have done?
A I attended drama school rather late in life so I had plenty of jobs before
I was an actor, including shoe shop manager, market trader and barman. After I graduated from university I was a third assistant director in the film and television industry for a few years and I loved it. If I hadn’t decided to attend drama school at the age of 30 then
I’d probably have kept working as an assistant director and hopefully worked my way through the ranks.
Q Favourite TV show? A The Prisoner. The original one from 1967, not the 2009 remake. I’m a Prisoner fanatic!
Q And your favourite movie?
A I saw The Sting on TV when I was around 12 years old. It was the most incredible film I’d ever seen. I later purchased a copy on VHS and probably wore the tape out. I reckon I’ve seen it at least 50 to 100 times over the years.
Q First thing you’d do if you won £1 million?
A Pay off the mortgage. Set up two university trust funds for my girls. Book a load of rooms at the Portmeirion Hotel (Where The Prisoner was filmed) and throw a party.
Q Resolutions for 2020? A I’ve been on a bit of a health kick since last October so I suppose some of my resolutions started then. I’m eating a lot less meat and upping my fruit and veg intake, eating less in general and cutting down on refined sugar. I’ve never been a big drinker so that isn’t something I need to change. I also make sure I walk a minimum of 12,000 steps a day.
Q Dream dinner guests?
A My dining table seats eight. The first two places would be taken up by me and my wife. Barack and Michelle Obama would be a wonderful couple to spend time with. They would have plenty of stories to share and they look like good fun. They both must be on most people’s dream dinner guest list, I imagine, so I’d have to give them plenty of notice. I used to drive Billy Connolly around while working on a feature film called The Debt Collector, back in the late 1990s. He is without a doubt the funniest man I’ve ever spent time with so he’d be invited for sure. He’d certainly keep the conversation and the humour going. I’d seat him next to Nicola Sturgeon and they could blether away about Scotland together. Dinner parties should be light hearted and fun and I think Tom Hanks would bring a lot to the table. If he’s as convivial as those who’ve met him say he is then I’d be mad not to invite him. Finally, to keep the table evenly balanced between men and women I’d include Lauren Laverne. As presenter of Desert Island Discs, I bet she’s picked up some cracking anecdotes in her time, plus she’s interesting in her own right and has a lovely accent too. I love hearing her voice on the radio.
Q City break or weekend in the country? A City break with lots of walking and sightseeing included.
Q Early bird or night owl?
A Definitely a night owl.
Q Save it or spend it? A I’d love to have the luxury of being able to save it but sadly I have to spend it. Q What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do?
A When I first attended university in 1992 I enrolled in an engineering degree. I realised within a short space of time I was never going to be able to successfully complete the course and tried to switch to something else. I was told by the university that I’d have to complete the first year of the engineering degree and pass all my exams before they would let me switch courses. It was the hardest year of my life. I simply couldn’t get my head around fluid mechanics and quantitative methods. In the end, the university supplied a personal tutor and I scraped the passes I needed. In one exam I think I achieved 41%. The pass mark was 40%.
Q What’s top of your wish list for 2020? A The confirmation of a second Scottish referendum.
Q Happiest childhood memory?
A Having my own pet monkey when I lived in Nigeria. She was the best companion a boy could have. We were inseparable.
Q And most embarrassing? A I suppose it would have to be falling face first into a shovelled up pile of very warm and very wet animal manure next to the camel enclosure of what was then Calderpark Zoo on the outskirts of Glasgow. I was probably around three years old. I was covered in it from head to foot. Q Biggest regret? A Not attending drama school sooner
Q What are you proudest of?
A Both of my daughters.
Q Who do you admire most? A My wife, Catherine. Her work ethic, level of patience and emotional intelligence is phenomenal. She is inspirational!
Q And who do you detest?
A In the words of Francis Urquhart in House of Cards, played by the superb Scottish actor Ian Richardson: “I couldn’t possibly comment”. Although, maybe I should mention the fact that I can no longer watch the news when Boris Johnson or Michael Gove appear. I have to change the channel. I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions on that...
Q If you could turn back the clock what one thing would you change?
A I would like to turn the clock back to May 7, 2015 and change the general election result to a defeat for the Tory Party and quash David Cameron’s talk of an EU referendum before it gained momentum.
Q Hardest thing you’ve had to give up?
A I didn’t stop biting my nails until I was in my early to mid-20s. It took quite a few years of trying. I used to bite them till they bled, sometimes.
Q Could you save someone’s life?
A Depends on what they were dying of. I’m not trained in first aid so I’d prefer to leave that kind of thing to someone who knows what they were doing. I’d call for an ambulance and carry out any instructions given over the phone though, if my assistance was required.
Q What have you got in your pockets?
A Keys, phone/wallet, tissues, coins, glasses, pack of dental floss and, I kid you not, a Prisoner badge. That isn’t usually in my pocket. I’m not a total geek, you know.
Q Last text message you sent/ received? A It’s not very exciting. It was between me and the actor Neil Mcdermott. We went to the same drama school. He’s rehearsing Pretty Woman, the West End musical in the room next door to me at the Jerwood Space in London and we were trying to figure out when we could meet up. The full message reads: “Yes. Next week too”.
Q Favourite song or piece of music?
A It’s too difficult to choose one and depends on the mood I’m in. I’m stuck in a 1960s and 70s time warp though so it would be something by Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac, Paul Simon, Nick Drake or The Beatles. As we’ve just got over Christmas, Joni Mitchell’s “River” is a song I can’t get out of my head at the minute. It’s beautiful, so let’s go with that.
Q Where would you rather be right now?
A There are two places dear to my heart. You know one already – Portmeirion in North Wales. The other is the Isle of Barra. I try and visit at least once a year. I’d be happy in either of those places.
Q Hibernation or the great outdoors?
A The great outdoors.
Q Tell us a joke. A Why don’t you ever see elephants hiding in trees? Because they are really good at it.