Joseph Fiennes: You Ask The Questions

Is there anything you would refuse to do even if the part required it? And were you daunted by the prospect of playing Shakespeare?

The actor Joseph Fiennes was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, in 1970. The joint youngest of seven siblings, including fellow actor Ralph, he moved house 14 times as a child. At 16, he left school to study art, but a year later was working backstage at the National Theatre in London. He later trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company for two seasons. He then moved into films, appearing in Martha - Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence and Elizabeth, among others. However, he made his name in the film Shakespeare in Love. He lives in London.

In your latest film, Leo, you play a convicted murderer. What research did you do for the role?
Bob Scott, Chichester

I visited two state penitentiaries in Mississippi and spoke to convicted murderers there. On one occasion, I had a sheriff in the room and a table full of convicted murders - they had committed less grievous killings but nevertheless pretty horrendous crimes. Obviously, I didn't say that I was an actor. I was very cautious, but I also didn't want to lie to them, so I just said I was doing my own research. I learnt a number of things from those meetings. One thing that was hard to ignore was the fact that 95 per cent of those inmates are black. I also went to a shrink as my character in preparation for the role.

Do you consider yourself a bohemian?
Pippa Norton, by e-mail

No. The idea that I had a bohemian childhood is laughable. It was anything but. I wouldn't call bringing up seven children bohemian. I'd call it amazingly difficult.

If you could be marooned on an island with one actor you have worked with, who would it be?
Helen Wadsworth, London

Jean Marais, who I worked with on the Bertolucci film, Stealing Beauty. He was Jean Cocteau's lover and appeared in La Belle et la Bête and Orphée which are two of my favourite films. Jean Marais is incredibly charismatic and I would want to ask him more about Jean Cocteau and the fascinating group of artists of that generation. I spent a little bit of time with him on set and I don't think he'd be difficult to share an island with. He was very old but wonderfully gracious.

You're famously discreet about your private life - not that it stops the "red tops" speculating. Have they ever got it laughably wrong?
Pat Arthur, Preston

Well, I haven't read any of the red tops' speculation, but one thing I do know: they've never got it laughably right.

Were you daunted by the prospect of playing Shakespeare? Very little is known about him so what did you base your characterisation on?
Liz Everett, Birmingham

Yes, I was daunted because everyone - from lovers of Shakespeare to students - has their impression of him. But, as you say, very little is known about him. My feeling about him is that all that is known about him is in his plays and that his genius resulted in him being a resounding humanist. That, coupled with a bit of imagination and a great script, brought about my characterisation of him.

A few years ago, you went backpacking around India. Have you got any more trips planned? Do you stay in backpacker hostels or more classy establishments?
Jack Kane, St Albans

It's kind of true that I went backpacking around India. Again, the idea that I go on bohemian travels and find myself in the wilds is not quite right. But I have been to India twice and I have stayed in various backpacker hostels and some classy establishments. After I did the film Elizabeth with Shekhar Kapur, he invited me to Bombay. It was the first time I'd been to India and I just fell in love with all of its amazing textures, smells, religions and architectures so I went back for a second time. I've got no trips planned at the moment. Having worked back to back on two films - which is a little bit like backpacking - I'm really looking forward to coming home.

What is your favourite rainy-day movie?
Mike Fitkin, Edinburgh

La Belle et la Bête. As I said before, I love Cocteau. His ideas and imagination are just sublime. Either that or Kind Hearts and Coronets.

Antony Beevor has said that he considers Enemy at the Gates a poor reflection of real warfare. Did you research Stalingrad before doing the film? Do you think historical accuracy is important?
Wendy Booth, London

Interesting. I felt that Enemy at the Gates was never about this huge epic battle, Stalingrad. It was about three characters, a triangle, but I read and included Beevor's brilliant book in my research. And, of course, historical accuracy is important, but then film isn't documentary. Beevor visited us on set a couple of times so maybe his input would have been welcomed during filming and not afterwards.

You moved house many times as a child. Is there anywhere that you consider home?
Paul Gray, Inverness

Thomas Hardy country. I lived there when I was between the ages of 10 and 15. I love Hardy and I love the countryside there - that combination means that whenever I go to the West Country, I feel at home. But I wasn't reading Hardy when I was that age: I was building camps and running away from school.

How long do you think you would've survived in the Elizabethan court?
George Oliver, Ascot

From what I remember reading when I did Elizabeth and Shakespeare in Love, they didn't wash much so I'm afraid not too long. I don't know if I would have found favour with Elizabeth. I remember there was a very funny story about a poor gentleman who looked very Italian, even though he was a Londoner. Elizabeth remarked on this and from then on he had to put on a fake Italian accent for the rest of his life in court. I don't think I could bear that.

When you do charity work - going to Angola with Christian Aid, for example - do you ever worry that your profession is essentially frivolous?
Irene Meaden, by e-mail

No. I know that it is because of my profession that I can go to countries like Angola and help charities like Christian Aid. Angola is a fascinating country. There's been a war there for almost 40 years and the casualties, as ever, are the ordinary people. But the reason I went there was oil. I had read a report about how governments and countries are not being transparent about the monies made from oil. In the case of Angola, the president is the richest man in the country so it's not hard to work out that there must be a lot of kickback.

Is there anything you would not do, if a script required it?
Harry Peterson, by e-mail

So far I haven't had that problem. But I'll keep you posted.

'Leo' is on general release