Daniel Lapaine

Australian-born actor Daniel, 45, joins the cast of He lives in north London with his wife, actress Fay Ripley, and their children, Parker, 14, and Sonny, 10.

You’re joining one of our favourite TV shows, The Durrells. Were you a fan of the first series?

Absolutely. What better show to watch just when everyone has had their fill of winter and is thinking of running away to a place like Corfu, where it’s set. It’s escapism coupled with great drama, wonderful characters and a brilliant script. I can remember watching it and thinking, ‘How lucky are those actors!’ And then I got the call…

Who do you play in the new series?

Hugh Jarvis, who’s the local Clark Gable-style playboy. He wears excellent clothes, drives a sports car, likes fine wine and women… and yet there is something missing from his life. Then he meets Louisa – Mrs Durrell, played by the lovely Keeley Hawes – and let’s just say he falls for her and the quirky family in ways that totally throw him.

Corfu’s an idyllic backdrop, but did you miss home during the three months of filming?

Yes. That’s always the hard bit about working abroad, even on a happy set like The Durrells,

where we all became like family. Fortunately, Corfu is accessible, so there was a lot of flying back and forth, whenever I had a break in filming. Besides, you really can’t complain. What a privilege to find yourself in such a beautiful place, doing the job you love.

Do you and Fay have rules about how long you’re prepared to be apart?

We’ve always said that three weeks is the maximum amount of time we should ever be away from each other because, after that, you start to get used to the absence and then it becomes dangerous.

You had your first break in Aussie romcom Muriel’s Wedding. Any regrets about leaving Australia?

Not at all. The UK has become home to me – it’s where Fay and I are raising our kids, and I love it. That said, I still feel I’m an Aussie, and a slight outsider here, because I’ve spent more years in Sydney than in London. Our children have dual nationality, which will give them more choices later in life.

When you’re not working, how do you relax?

I play the guitar – badly – and I’m also on a kick-about football team of local dads. We’re all as unfit as each other and struggling not to get a paunch.

How about cooking – is that something you’re good at?

My parents are Italian, so the love of food is in my DNA. Cooking and eating with my family and friends is so important. Still, when you’re married to Fay – who has written three cookery books and is incredible in the kitchen – it can be easy to take a backseat, as she does it so much better than me.

Who’s the romantic in your relationship, you or Fay?

Both of us are romantics in our own ways. I’ll buy Fay flowers, but true romance is more than that, isn’t it? It’s about remembering to take care of your relationship every single day. We’re both good at that. I’m lucky, because it’s still so easy to feel romantic about Fay, even after 15 years of marriage!

• The six-part series of The Durrells will air on ITV in April