Quickfire Luke Treadaway

Actor on drinking with Prince and bonding with a superstar cat

Guilty pleasure? Watching rubbish TV, which can be a good way to clear the mind. Where is home? I share a flat in North London with my girlfriend [actress Ruta Gedmintas], but grew up in Devon, which will always be home. Career plan B? I don’t have one, as I never had a plan A. I fell into acting after joining the National Youth Theatre when I was 16. Who would play you in a movie of your life? I would definitely have to offer it first to my twin brother Harry, who is also an actor. Biggest bugbear? Politicians and governments funding seemingly constant wars in the world – it’s a bit more than a bugbear, I know. As a child you wanted to be… The centre of attention. Earliest memory? Swimming in a lake on a family camping holiday to France when I was about three. Secret to a happy relationship? Love and understanding. Your best quality? How long have you got? But seriously, I really don’t know. And your worst? I’m too sarcastic. Last meal on earth? My mum’s macaroni cheese – my favourite meal when I was growing up. Dream dinner-party guests? Salvador Dali, Thom Yorke from Radiohead, Albert Einstein and Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam. It would be more of a lads’ night in than a dinner party. Advice to teenage self? Don’t start smoking – I’m still trying to give up. On a day off we’d find you… Reading scripts at home, going to the gym or for a run on Hampstead Heath, hanging out with friends. Starstruck moment? Seeing Prince in concert in Toronto last year and having drinks with him afterwards – we had red wine and limoncello. It was a privilege and pretty surreal. Cat or dog? Starring in the film A Street Cat Named Bob, I obviously have to choose cats. I bonded with Bob when we were filming – he’s an absolute dude and came to my birthday party in September. Big break? My first job, Brothers of the Head, a film I did when I was still at drama school. Career highlight? Playing the lead role of Christopher in the stage version of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in 2012. Taking the production from workshop to the National Theatre and then the West End was an amazing journey. Favourite tipple? Red wine, although I’m not a connoisseur. Hangover cure? Go for a run and drink lots of water. What did you have for breakfast today? Avocado on toast and scrambled eggs. Top of your bucket list? It’s not a typical bucket list choice, but I’d like to have children one day. Philosophy? Life is what it is – there’s no point complaining. Where would you time travel to? To check out the dinosaurs. First record you bought? A tape of Vs by Pearl Jam when I was about ten. Happiness is… Being with friends and family. They are the people who inspire you to try to be the best possible version of yourself. Luke stars in A Street Cat Named Bob and the animated adaptation of Ethel & Ernest, both in cinemas now