FirstWord TOM CONTI

Capitalising on his silver fox status, the distinguished acting career of Paisley-born Tom Conti continues to flourish. Here he reflects on hate mail, opera and moistness

First record you ever bought Stokowski conducting Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, which featured in a movie I had just seen called A Hundred Men and a Girl. Last time you were chatted up Last week, in a bookshop. (40, gorgeous, shapely, dark hair and eyes).

First film you saw that really moved you Probably Scott of the Antarctic; when Oates left the tent, sacrificing himself to save the others, saying ‘I’m just going outside. I may be some time.’ Last lie you told The answer to question two.

First movie you ever went on a date to Don’t remember. Too busy with the bra clasp. Last time you cried A moistness came the other day, as it always does when I read the line in Romeo and Juliet when, after the children have died, the Prince says ‘A glooming peace the morning with it brings. The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head.’

First thing you do when you’ve got time off work Since I’m an actor, being off work is hardly a rare occurrence so the question is somewhat inappropriate.

Last great meal you cooked. Last night. Pretty good spaghetti with aglio, olio, and peperoncino Last extravagant purchase you made A DVD projector. Fanbloodytastic.

First crush Pamela McMasters from Redcar in Yorkshire. Met her on holiday in Inverness. I was nine, she, twelve. I fell totally in love with her; well, it’s the older woman thing, isn’t it? I knew her for a day.

Last book you read The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest, the last of the Stieg Larsson trilogy. Don’t miss this amazing yarn and the extraordinary Miss Salander. First great piece of advice you were given From my father: ‘Don’t believe priests!’

Last time you were star struck 1993. Jenny Seagrove slapped my face every night for six months. First thing you’d do if you ran the country Radically reduce taxes. Allow the people to drag the country out of recession by success. The government is hopeless at managing our finances so let us manage our own. We’ll grow back into a nation of responsible people instead of the browbeaten infants we’ve become.

Last meal on earth. What would it be? Bacon, eggs, sausage and tomato twice! First song you’ll sing at karaoke Perish the thought!

Last time you exploited your position to get something Not a good idea. Being known does help, generally, but the question ‘Do you know who I am?’ is best left to the Gestapo. First time you realised you were famous The arrival of the first ‘hate mail’. You’ve got to be known to provoke that kind of loathing.

Last time someone criticised your work I’m an actor; it’s bloody endless. First three words your friends would use to describe you Opinionated x 3.

Last time you made an impulse buy and regretted it Twenty years ago. A slightly ‘fashionable’ green suit. Put it on, took it off immediately.

Last thing you think of before you go to sleep Where shall I put my left arm? A Closed Book is released on DVD, Mon 22 Feb.

WeLike The things making our world just that little bit better

Don’t you just hate it when you hear of some nice pop-up shop slash gallery slash ‘arts space’ then realise *slapping forehead*, you won’t be in Berlin that Friday night, so have to pass. Then, they put on a pop-up screening of Spike Jonze’s new short film in Edinburgh, and ba-da-boom, ba-da-bing, you are BACK in that loop (I’m Here screening, Sat 27 Feb, Sovereign House, Edinburgh, go to www.absolut.com/uk/imhere/events for tickets).

Ellie Harrison’s inherently sensible, not to mention stylishly merchandised, Bring Back British Rail campaign has been getting love from The

2 THE LIST 18 Feb–4 Mar 2010

List (bringbackbritishrail.org), as has David Shrigley’s Pringle advert, and the strangely addictive hipster- ogling websites, hipsterpuppies. tumblr.com and unhappyhipsters. com. Seriously, your homes are bloody delightful, do you have facial nerve damage? Crack a smile fools. We know we did.