THE BIG INTERVIEW
Enjoying a lifetime of costume dramas
British actor Simon Callow has been seen in many guises. Here, Robin Dutt finds out about the man behind the mask
I
meet actor Simon Callow at a discreet French cafe in South Kensington. He is enthusiastic – immediately affable with a slight hurry in his step. And this hurry is understandable. Simon Callow, CBE, is a man much in demand. In addition to his thespian work, he is a musician, writer and theatre director.
We order – he a diminutive pot of tea, and a traditional bowl( no handle) of French-style coffee for me. Born in 1949, Callow ' s origin in the world of the theatre followed at a rapacious pace when he wrote a letter to Sir Laurence Olivier, at that time at the height of his powers as the artistic director of the National Theatre and of course an internationally acclaimed Shakespearian actor – something of a national treasure which the young Callow was enthused by. The great man suggested Callow join the box office staff of the theatre.
This was no rebuff to an aspiring talent – quite the contrary. It was by observing actors that Callow realised that a career in acting was indeed for him. The lessons of observation proved to be most valuable. Combining his other considerable talents, each of which so accurately typifies him, they certainly represent the sum of the whole.
It is still surprising, perhaps, that he made his stage debut 43 years ago. His various credits include Amadeus and Being An Actor( both 1984), and he directed Shades in 1992. In the same year he starred in the TV series Little Napoleon. But arguably it was 1994 ' s Four Weddings and a Funeral for which he was nominated for a BAFTA award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role that endeared him to so many. R
44 SAVILE ROW STYLE MAGAZINE