Under the microscope
CAN YOU RUN UPSTAIRS?
I DON’T usually, but I certainly can do it. I go through phases of doing lots of exercise and then give up. I go to the odd Pilates class, but I prefer more of a challenge such as dancing or an exercise class that doesn’t involve lying on a mat.
GET YOUR FIVE A DAY?
MOST of the time. I think about it a lot and always buy fruit when I’m shopping.
EVER DIETED?
NEVER — dieting is one of the worst things you can do. It ruins your metabolism and can cause stretch marks. I’m nearly 5ft 5in, weigh 8½ st and have the same vital statistics I had when I was 22.
POP ANY PILLS?
I DO take multi-vitamins. I’m great believer in vitamin B12 injections. Whenever I’ve felt any kind of stress I pay to have a B12 shot — they really lift me mentally and physically.
HAD ANYTHING REMOVED?
YES. In my 20s I had appendicitis and had my appendix removed before it ruptured. I was in Argentina for a film festival after my big break in Saturday Night And Sunday Morning with Albert Finney. At one point they feared my scar was going septic, but I was simply allergic to Elastoplasts.
EVER HAVE PLASTIC SURGERY?
I HAVE done various small things, including laser treatment on my face nine years ago. It was meant to be a deep cleanse, like a facial. But to this day, the skin around my mouth, where I’d asked for some extra work, remains paler than the rest of my face. It was £700 not really well-spent.
ANY VICES?
I’VE never smoked and I didn’t even take to marijuana when everyone was smoking it in the late Sixties. I didn’t want to get addicted to the tobacco. If I am around people who drink too much then I’m inclined to join them. I do have a man friend and he’s very keen on his wine.
ANY FAMILY AILMENTS?
I GREW up in children’s homes. I finally met my mother again when I was 38 and discovered my whole other family — three lovely American halfsisters. My mother lived to 98. She had a lot of stamina.
WORST ILLNESS OR INJURY?
WHEN I was small we caught everything going because there were 400 of us at the children’s home. I think that built up my immune system, as I’ve been very strong ever since.
IS SEX IMPORTANT?
IF IT’S with the right person. It can revive everything. If there is a lot of feeling and emotion I would say it’s one of the best exercises there is.
EVER BEEN DEPRESSED?
YES, I have, but not clinical depression. I can have mood swings and I don’t like that in myself. One of the reasons I like B12 shots is because they lift me up.
HANGOVER CURE?
A HOT water bottle and a dark room.
WHAT KEEPS YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT?
I WORRY about staying independent and about paying the bills — an actor’s life is often feast or famine.